There's something missing but what?
by TheSkilledStalker
Summary: Fate isn't having a great life, the opposite of Nanoha... Or so it would like them to see that. What if they just needed something that they both would have never thought of needing?
1. Chapter 1

There's something missing... But what?

Season 1

A/N

Disclaimer: I don't own MGLN.

Rate: T

My English is not perfect but please, be easy on me. It is a light and a simple story, even if it is a long one (Maybe it'll change with time...). I can't promise but I'll try to update the sooner I can every time.

What is in _italic_ are the thoughts and what are writhed between ''…'' are the dialogues. **Flashback** will be in _italic _and the thoughts in normal character.

I don't like to write for nothing, so it will be all. Thanks in advance for reading.

And it begins...

A/N

"What is life?"

_Nanoha Takamachi_

"It's what makes you who you are."

_Fate Testarossa_

Episode 1: Each on their side

_My life always was well surrounded and perfect if I might say. Never once I had any problems or anything like that. Everything was as expected for the perfect life of a teenager. I had an excellent education and my family were always there for me. My friends took care of me and the school was fun too. I had a job at the family cafe and was good to make cakes._

_Even so, I wasn't really happy. I knew I should be grateful for everything, but there was something missing and I couldn't know what it was... And so, I continued forward and tried to find "it". I managed myself to perfection my imperfection at school and even applied to the best school in Japan. Then, what I didn't know was that this action was about to change everything I knew..._

_August 8__th__, end of summer, noon_

**-Nanoha's POV...-**

"Nanoha! Come here right now!"

I jump at the yelling of my mother. I was in the middle of changing my clothes into my works'. I almost fell a few times in the rush of putting them right. I decided that it was for the best if I went down faster because of that yell from my mom. It wasn't a good sign whenever she screamed like this. _Oh my god! What did I do? What did I do? What should I say? Is this about the missing cakes from the cafe? But father, brother and sister aren't here... What is this all about?_ Those questions rushed into my mind while I was getting down in a run. On the third stair from the bottom, I fell... Yeah, I fell... with only my mom as a spectator. Ouch. That really did hurt. When I was massing my left leg, I heard my mom slightly laugh of myself.

"Mou! Mom... It's not funny..." I told her, glaring.

I got myself up and I saw a letter in her right hand. Then, my mom was only smiling, tending me that letter and letting the suspense continue. She wasn't saying a word when I took it. _Is she making fun of me or... Anyway, what is it?_ I was asking myself when I turned it to see the sender.

"!"

I was shocked. I just needed to see the symbol to know where it was from. _It's the letter I so waited for! It's the answer from the Lyrical; the Lord Yoran Real Intel Class Academy's Life for the best students ever!_ I screamed in my head. I ripped it and took the papers off. I passed over the salutations and went right away to the principal subject; my admission. As I read, the smile I had slowly started to fade away. I was more than shocked, I was stunned. My mom soon followed my mood and was about to cheer me up when I told her:

"I got accepted... They accept me!"

She was almost happier then I was. She hugged me and took me in the air while laughing and crying at the same time. We had waited a long time for that letter. It was the greatest school for any yield of work. They had every subject for every types of job. Anyway, it was the school for an assured future. My mom finally put me down after a while and a flash passed in my mind and even before I could considered it, I asked my mom: "Can I have the afternoon off to see my friends about the news, please ?". It was almost as if my mother already knew from before what I was about to ask. She faked a reasoning pose, and laughed, and told me it was ok. I literally jumped of joy and climbed the stairs just like a monkey would climb a tree. I got into my room; I changed myself and send them a message in the same time within a new record. _Come to the mall, in the new cafe, in 15 min 3 see you there_ was the message I gave them before I stood out of my bedroom.

I got downstairs where I hugged my mom and told her "good day" and "thank you". I walk down the streets to the bus stop. I didn't wait long; as soon as I arrived, the bus was there. I couldn't help myself smiling all the way to the mall and I even arrived there the last, even late. "This sure is going to be a good day" I happily said to myself when I reach my friends.

"Nanoha! You called us here and you're the one who's late!"

"Nyahahah... Sorry Alisa-chan! Please, don't be mad!" I replied to the blond hair girl. I then sat down with my friends to accompany them. "I'm only late by 5 min."

"Well, since it's not a habit from yours, I can forgive you if you buy me a drink." Alisa said with an evil smirk.

"Alisa-chan! Nanoha-chan, don't listen to her, we only arrived here a minute ago." Suzuka rushed to apologize, the purple hair girl.

Hayate and I laughed at the daily show between those two. Suzuka was always soft and caring while Arisa was the opposite; violent and uncaring for anyone but Suzuka. We were all four childhood friends having a good time in the afternoon, just like always. We talked about anything, but nothing in particular, the usual what. Hours seems like minutes and at 1500 hours, we decided to do window shopping.

Between two shops, we bumped into a beautiful tall blond girl. _What a pretty girl!_ I founded myself thinking. After some staring between us, she barely said in a whisper a 'sorry'. _Why does she have such sad eyes...?_ My friends didn't pay her any more attention than normally, but I found myself thinking of her all the afternoon and, even without knowing it, it soon hunted my thoughts...

We finally got to the restaurant at 1800 hours. Hayate was only smiling in a silence at another show between the two lovebirds. I was tranquilly drinking my lemonade – while thinking again about the mysteriously gorgeous blond – and those two were madly blushing. Nobody commented nobody spoke. Slowly, Alisa started to frown and soon enough, a tiny rage scream went out of her mouth. It surprised me and the rest of the gang but in plus to that; the whole restaurant stared at us four. It was even more silent then before but we finally busted out in laughter. We laughed almost to cry. It was nice. Somehow, the rest of the costumers just returned to their stuff without giving us any more attention.

"So," started Alisa, "why did you wanted us here today, Nanoha? There must be a reason because it's not your thing to put a rendezvous without any constraints... What is it?"

That was typical from Alisa. She's always straight to the point at the more random moments. I laughed. That was also typical of me.

"I got an answer from Lyrical..."

"What is it? You're accepted or not?" Alisa interrupted, almost in rage on me.

"... My mom gave me the letter at noon. Do you really think I would be that happy all day long with a rejection from that school?"

"No?" Hayate asked while always smiling.

"Yes, I got accepted." I smiled.

For the second time, Alisa screamed and, for the second time, all the costumers turned around to see her. Somehow, they were pissed off. Some random staff came to us and told us:

"Can you please stop screaming or please go out."

"We're sorry mister, we have finished, and we're going out. Sorry for all the noise we caused." Suzuka already spoke before me.

We stood up and put our dishes in the garbage, next to us. We finally got out. We looked into the eyes of each other and burst out in laughs. We didn't care about the others; we were having a really good time.

"Hahaha... Thank you Suzuka-chan, but Alisa-chan, you can't just scream like that all the time. You could scare them off their skin..." laughed Hayate. "Anyhow," she tried to recover her breath, "congrats Nanoha-chan! It's good to be able for us four to be accepted in Lyrical, the best school ever!" She put her fist in the air. "I could try out the cosplay club and make Nanoha-chan to come with me and so I could see her beautiful body..."

"Nyahahah..." It was my signature for everything, but this time, it was because of the danger of Hayate in berserk mode. I tried to change the subject and so I talked to Alisa and Suzuka who were laughing of me. "So, in what club will you two be?"

"Suzuka and I think of the swimming club." The blond girl answered for her friend and herself.

"It'll be the swimming club? So you two will see each other..." Hayate started with an evil grin.

"Shut up!" Alisa said angry while blushing. "It's always better then the cosplay club, ne Nanoha?"

"I won't be in that club! I was more thinking of the baking club." I said, remembering my time at the bakery of my parents. _Sweet memories..._

"Hey, I was thinking that myself too." The short hair brunette said, getting out of her fantasies.

"That's great, we could..." I stop myself. _Hey! She didn't say that?_ "You said what?"

"That I would like to..." She began, but was interrupted by the hand of Alisa on her forehead. "What are you doing Alisa-chan?"

"No, she doesn't have a fever... Are you not feeling well Hayate?" Alisa asked to her, with a worried expression. _God, I'm so much going to die of laughing!_

"I'm well! Hey, that was really mean you know... I just wanted to change a little, to try something else... That's all!" Pouted Hayate, kind of pissed off.

"It's worse than I thought! Suzuka, call the limo, we're taking her home!"

The purple hair girl did what she was told while I was laughing to tears; it was just, her face was priceless. _I could always have fun like this..._

"I'm not sick! It's not funny! Nanoha-chan!" _No chance here! Take that Hayate!_ "You should be helping me here instead of laughing!" Hayate started, trying to stop her friends of making fun of her. "I was serious here!"

"Oh? You were serious? Sorry about that, we thought you were sick..." Alisa said, making a serious face and taking a serious tone. _What will she says this time? _"You're not sick." Hayate's face kind of recovers itself. "You're deadly sick!"

After that, we all began to laugh, even more than before. Hayate pouted, but joined us after a while. Then, a though passed my mind. _We're still in front of the restaurant; maybe we should go elsewhere before we're kicked out of the place._ I was about to ask if we could go when I saw a limo coming here. _Oh, it's all right then._ We had stopped laughing. _Thanks god, I was about to suffocate here! _Then, Alisa asked us when the limo was near:

"Do you want us to give you a ride back or you two are OK?"

I shook my head and Hayate did the same. And so, after receiving and giving goodbyes, they were gone.

"Did you really mean it for the baking club?"

"Yes, I wanted to try more something that you like, Nanoha-chan, instead of always bring you to cosplay with me here and there." Hayate smiled.

"You sure sound like you want something for that... Suspicious!" I laughed.

"Yep, I do want something... How did you know? Are you a medium?"

"No way... I was only joking..." I sighed. "Ok, what do you want, this time?"

"Hey! You sounded like I always ask you things!"

"Well, it's mostly true." A sweat drop was creating on my head.

"You're hurting my feeling, you know!" She faked tears.

"Nyahahah... Oh, well. So, what do you want?"

"I want... Oh! The bus is here. Come on!" She exclaimed, changing the subject like always.

_I didn't see that coming. We were walking all this time?_ I got in the bus with my friend, paid the price and finally sat down at the back of the bus. I waited for her to sit and continued our conversation from before.

"So what did you want?

"Hum... Oh yeah! I remember!" She smiled. _Oh... I really don't like that smile._

"I want you to..." She was interrupted, again.

"Excuse me."

We turn ourselves where the voice came and we saw a blue hair boy. He was tall and was with a girl almost the same height.

"Excuse-me ladies, but, can we sit next to you? The bus is nearly full."

"Yes, sure." I answered with a smile.

"Thank you both." They responded while sitting at my left. "We are new here, so we didn't want to bother anybody..."

"It's alright. By the way, I'm Yagami Hayate and she's Takamachi Nanoha." My friend presented us.

"Enchanted. I'm Harlaown Chrono and this is Amy."

"..." Se bowed her head. _Is she OK?_

"She doesn't talk much, don't misunderstand her, please."

"It's all good, Chrono-kun." I responded with a warm smile. "You're foreigners? Where do you come from?"

"Yes we are. We're from America, the United States."

"Amazing!" Hayate exclaimed, bouncing on her bench. "I came from there too!"

"Which state?" He asked, exited as well.

"From New York and you?"

"Louisiana."

"Oh, cool! That's a nice place... Hey, what are you doing here? Vacation?" _As always, you random subjects at random moments..._

"We're here for the work." He said with a smile. "I'm a policeman."

"That's cool!" I said.

"Please don't arrest us!" Hayate joked and we all laughed.

**-Meanwhile – Alisa's POV...-**

"She will be alright, Suzuka." I said without looking at my friend.

"I know, but I can't help to worry. She was acting strange this afternoon, after all." The other one said.

"You should relax; it's not good for you to be all stressed up."

"I'm all good around you." I blush at that answer. "You too, Ali-chan, you need to relax. You're all tense..." She said with care, taking my left hand in her right hand.

"..." I didn't respond; I was even redder; it was too much embarrassing.

"Do you think we should tell them? They're our best friends and I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem... Ne... Ali-chan?" Suzuka asked with puppy eyes.

"I'm sure it would be alright, but, as Hayate and Nanoha are, they'll tease us to death..." I responded, looking away from her eyes.

"So, that was bugging you. You afraid to be hurt from them..." She said with a sad look.

"No!" I yelled, scaring her. "Sorry! It's not that I'm scared of hurting myself; I'm afraid of you being hurt..." I said in my breath, even more red then I was before.

"That's so sweat! Ali-chan, I love you!" My girlfriend exclaimed, literally jumping on me.

"Whoa!"

**-Meanwhile – Nanoha's POV...-**

"It's our stop. It was a pleasure to meet you, Chrono-kun and Amy-chan. Hope to see you soon." I said with my leave. _They're nice; I hope to see them soon._

"Bye bye!" Hayate said, following me.

"Goodbye!" Chrono and Amy answered while waving their hands.

We walked down the street to my house where we exchanged our "goodbyes". She lived near me; about four houses down.

"I'm home!" I exclaimed in the lobby.

"Welcome home, Nanoha." I heard my dad spoke.

I gather myself to the living room where I found all my family there, waiting for me. I wasn't nervous, but I had a tiny bad feeling.

"Come sit down, dear." My mom said with a smile.

"Hay~" I did as I was told and I sat between my brother and my sister. "I had a great day, thanks, mom!"

"It's fun to hear." Spoke mom, happily.

"We heard from mom that you got accepted in Lyrical, Nanoha. Congrats!" Kyōya said to me. "You're not a little girl anymore, we're all proud of you."

"Nyahahah~ Thanks, onii-chan!"

"You'll see, it's a great school, you'll have fun there." My sister said at her turn.

"Hum!"

"Nanoha." That was my dad. _Doesn't seem to be much happy..._

"Yes, otou-san?" _I'm dead, so much dead..._

"I'm really proud that you make it through... But, for the stolen cakes, that was a little unnecessary." He tried to make it serious, but it failed miserably. "If you want some, ask us, don't steal it, Ok?"

"Yes dad." I smiled. _That's all? Not too bad..._

"Also Nanoha." My dad started.

"Try to do your best there." My mom finished with a warm smile.

"Yes!"

_From morning to evening, I worked to serve. I was enchained, but I could move easily to place A to B. The same schedule everyday from the beginning to the end of summer. I guessed that it won't be that way with school around. Woke up at four, cleaned the house, made breakfast for her and served her all day long as she want. Then, at eight pm, went to work at some company. I usually come home at the first hour of the day and so; I didn't have much sleep. It's always the same: same stuff from Sunday to Saturday. _

_But today was different. I woke up earlier than expected. I did the cleaning before going to sleep; I had day off from work on Sundays. I took that time to take a walk outside and returned for seven am. On my way back in the court, I saw a letter in the mailbox. I didn't know that this letter was about to change everything I knew..._

_8__th__ August, end of summer, noon_

**-Fate's POV...-**

"Bitch! Come here now!"

I fell down the face on the cold floor. _It's cold... But it's not as much as her..._ The scream was just too much. _You don't have to yell all the time... _I was enchained again so I couldn't move too fast. I tried my best to move to her. She was in the living room and I was in the kitchen, making lunch for her. I brought her food and her alcohol. I left it next to her and I tried not to cross her eyes. _It really is difficult to avoid the closest person you know..._

"Bring me more beer! You bitch!" My mother said, angry. Yes, my mother. _I should be faster... I don't want to make her angrier. _

"Yes, mother." I simply answered.

_Maybe I could buy a remote for her to commend me as she want... Yes I'll buy her that for Christmas... _I was about to take beer from the fridge when she took the chains and pulled it. _Did I do something wrong?_ I couldn't breathe while I was pulled to her. I coughed a lot but I was dragged in the air by my shirt not letting me to cough more.

"Bitch! It's because of you that their gone!" She exclaimed.

She stopped to shake me and started to cough more than me, when I was in the air. After she regained her breathe, she shouted at me:

"Go to hell! And bring more beer! I'm thirsty here!"

She dropped me- No, she pitched me and I pulled myself to the kitchen and only there I put off the chains. _That kind of scared me... Maybe I should buy it sooner, that remote I saw the other day. _I was lost in thoughts as I was cleaning myself good enough to go outside. And only so, I went to the mall.

It was sunny outside. No clouds, only a large blue sky with a big sun. It took me a while to get used to this light. _Not like at home...Oh well, better be fast if I don't want to be punish again..._

The way to there was as the same; I walked not even half a mile to get to the bus stop and I took it to the mall. _Maybe I should take a new kind of drug for her. Better, I could ask them to import some from Canada. I heard they're cheap and easy to access..._ My thoughts stopped their as I heard the driver called for the mall.A fifteen minutes ride wasn't enough for me to think.

There was a crown inside the mall. _Ugh, that's really won't be nice..._ There was so much people that it was difficult to only enter. I tried to cut them, but some were more wise then I. _As I though, it'll take me more time then I though... Ah..._

After a while, in other words after getting from right to left by the crown, I got to the drug stores to get some pills for my mother and myself. _They were nice enough to give me the form for the importation... I even got a bigger dose for my mother; I hope she will be please..._

The next store was for the beer. I got plenty of them - three bags - and asked them if they could take it to home. After that, I went to a machine and bought some pack of cigarette. I took one and smoked it like if I didn't in age. _Well, it's mostly true. I can't smoke at home because of her... Ah... It's refreshing..._

As I gathered myself outside the shop, I bounced on a shorter red brown girl. _Wow... She's kind of cute..._ I though. When I saw her staring, I gathered myself to say 'sorry' and took my leave. _Man... That was really awkward... Better never do that again. I bet anyhow that I won't ever see her again..._

I took my time to walk, just to finish it before home and to stop thinking about that strange situation. It was 1400 hours and I was tired. Tired of what? Of being pushed and pulled from left to right by my mother. _I can't really take it anymore... It's just too much. But I can't leave mother neither..._ I take a last puff, through the cigarette on the ground and I walked on it. _What can be better than a cigarette?_ I walked into the court and climb the four stairs to open the door.

I put the bags on the floor, closed the door and take the time to listen. No sound near. _Did she already fell? _No, couldn't be. I gather myself with the bags to the kitchen and started to class all the pills in a box. Just then, I put the box with the others in the cabinet. I stored the beer into the fridge and took some cold to bring them to mother. But before, course, I put back the chains. I got myself to the living room to see if she was there. Nobody. I went to her room; nobody again. _She must be in her work room..._ I knocked at her door and waited patiently for an answer. I heard a growl. _Ok, she's still alive..._ I sighed.

"I've got the beer. Should I leave it at the door or should I enter?" I asked, even if I knew the answer.

"Don't ever enter, demon!" She shouted like if I was the devil himself. "Just put them there, you bastard!" _She's right. I'm a demon and a bastard... I'm not supposed to be here... Onee-chan..._ I sighed for the umpteenth time. I did as I was told and leave the door. I went to the living room to clean up the place.

It took me one hour or so. _I didn't hear of her... Is she alright? Maybe it is better that way..._ It was twenty before four pm. _I __should start the diner... She will be hungry anytime soon._ I went to the kitchen to make spaghetti, the favourite dishes of my mother. The pasta wasn't long to make, but the sauce was.

After everything was done, I put off the chains and went preparing myself for work. My mother didn't pay anything for me for years now. _I started working at eleven years old, too much early if I may say, but mother has her reason for this and everything else._ My shift was for eight pm, but I'm always going before just to take some time for me.

**-Hours later; 2 o'clock am...-**

I worked an extra hour to help some unknown guy that run off to his girlfriend. _Must be nice to have someone to love and care... Not that I don't love and don't care for mother, it's not the same..._ Then, the image of the brunette passed into my mind. _What was that? _I sighed: I was exhausted. The way from there to home wasn't long or tiring, but somehow, that day was a really strange one.

I got back home twenty minutes after and even if I will need to wake up in a few hours, I did take the time to see if my mother didn't need anything. I guessed she didn't: she was asleep in her bed. I gathered myself back to my room to fall on the undone bed without changing myself before. _I'm so tired... Today was awful both home and work. Maybe I should work less... That girl had something strange... Maybe I'll see her again... Maybe... _That was the last though I get before falling in deep sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N

Thanks for the reviews! And I'll try to make it fast between my chapters! May be a little OOCness ' !

Disclaimer: Maybe I wasn't clear: **I. Don't. Own. MGLN.**

Please be tolerant with my English

Thanks in advance for reading.

And it continues...

A/N

"What is sadness?"

_Nanoha Takamachi_

"It's an emotion that makes you powerless."

_Fate Testarossa_

Episode 2: This starts here

_September 6__th__, beginning of school, early morning_

**-Nanoha's POV – 8 o'clock am...-**

_I'm late!_ I screamed in my head while running to the bus stop in the rain. _I shouldn't have stayed up late last night! But I was so excited that I couldn't even close my eyes...!_ Not only it rained, but I missed the bus too. _So much for my bad grades in sports..._ I growled. I looked at the time and made a supposition that I could run to school before it started. _I can do it!_ I encouraged myself.

That run was the sport of the day or even of the year if I could say. _Don't stop Nanoha! You can do it!_ It didn't really help because my feet were in fire. The cold rain completely washed my cloths. _ Lucky for me; I got gym later so I got a spear outfit!_I happily told myself.

**-30 minutes later, in front of the school...-**

_School starts... in less than 10 minutes!_ I alarmed my sense. I could see the building from the road I was. Not only I couldn't feel my legs, my body was about to collapse. Then, I saw that beautiful blond girl walking twenty feet in front of me. _She's going to Lyrical too...? I'm happy..._ I tried to say something, but my ability to speak wasn't working. Soon after, my vision started to blur and I was running less and less. _I must continue... Don't... Fall..._ My thoughts stopped there as I fell, making a big noise.

**-Fate's POV-**

Rained flipped on the black umbrella I was holding. The beginning of the day made me sick. A school day – the first non-less – and it was raining a lot. _I don't really need to go to school. I could stay home..._ I was thinking while walking into the school's gates. _It is pointless..._ I sighed and a chill went past into my body. I froze. _What was that...? A bad feeling...?_ I continued to walk even if that chill was still running inside me.

**THUD!**

I jumped; my hand on my heart or anywhere closes to it. With the move, my umbrella fell on the ground and rain fell on me. I looked at my right, then my left; nothing. I slowly turned back to see where did the noise come from. I saw a girl on the ground, not moving at all. I run to the brown hair girl like life was about to end in any second. _What the hell? Did she collapse?_ I kneeled down beside her and I hastily took her on my back.

"Are you ok? Can you answer me?" I calmly asked, while my inside was yelling. I walked inside the school and searched for teacher. _Why aren't they anywhere? Oh right, class has started a minute ago..._

"... late... we're late..." She whispered in her breath, in her sleep.

_Damn it! Better bring her to the infirmary..._ I looked around while changing the weight of the brunette from my left shoulder to my right. I run through the hall looking at the doors at my left until I bounced into someone. _Again? It's not the time for..._ I stopped the course of my thoughts when I saw a short blond hair woman in a white coat.

"My... Are you two ok?" She kindly asked with a smile.

"She collapsed on the ground at the school's gate, sensei." I responded like if I always had. "I was walking and I saw her asleep in a puddle. I don't think that she does that a lot..." I heard her laughing and she took the brunette off my grip.

I kind of felt like I lost a part of myself when the nurse took her... I quickly regain my posture and followed them. We walked in an unwanted silence to the infirmary. The nurse put the brunette on a bed and turned to me to ask something I really didn't wanted to hear from her:

"Could you take off her clothes, please? I'm going to get towels for her."

And, she was gone after that. _She didn't even let me answer her! Why should I help her anyway...?_ I sighed and approached the occupant of the bed. _Maa... It's better than classes._ I started with the blouse and in the middle of my work, she twitched and faced me. I frowned. _It's really worst than classes...! _

**-20 minutes later...-**

I was exhausted. Why? Because I was undressing that wet brunette! _That really was embarrassing..._ I sighed, sitting in my first class, not listening to the teacher at all. Shamal-sensei told me to go to my class and not to worry about the unconscious girl... And that was what I did. _School is boring, classmates are boring, and teachers are boring..._ I lost the counts of the things I hated at school as I fell asleep on my desk with the image of the brunette in my head as the only thing that wasn't boring in the building...

**-Nanoha's POV, many hours later...-**

I frowned. I touched the sheets I was in and it wasn't mine. _Where am I?_ I tried to lift myself but couldn't. I growled as I opened my eyes. It took me a minute to adjust my eyes to the blind light of the white room. _I'm... in the infirmary?_ I got up with a strength I didn't know. I was... alone. I rubbed my eyes and I saw that I wasn't in my clothes._ That's not normal..._ I frowned even more as I was replacing the events of before I collapsed. _I was running... Yeah, I was late. I missed the bus and then... In front of the school, I saw her... She was walking ahead of me... I tried to speak but... wasn't able. And then... What happen...?_ I stopped thinking when I heard the door opening. A woman entered the room with Hayate and they saw me awake.

"Hey, you're awake?" My friend grinned to me. "To collapse because you're late isn't very good on your first day."

I grimaced. I had a huge headache that just started with them entering the room. "I'm awake, Mrs. Obvious." I massaged my temples.

She laughed and even the nurse smiled. "It's good to hear your sarcasm again. It's telling me that you're ok."

I frowned and growled.

"Miss Takamachi, lay down please, you have a fever and I don't want you to push yourself. The quicker it falls, the better." The nurse kindly scolded me with a smile.

And I let myself fall on the bed when Hayate asked me:

"Since you skipped the entire day to sleep, you'll need someone to help you with the homework, right?"

"Yeah..." I responded, on automatic. Then, it hit me. "What? The whole day?" I shouted as I stood up to look outside the window. I saw the sunset. "I skipped the first day..." _Why me...?_ I sighed and Hayate pushed me on my back.

"Rest. I'll call your mother. Don't dare to move. Oh, and Alisa and Suzuka are coming soon..." She ordered me while grinning. _This girl sure loves to smile..._ I smiled back to reassure her that I did understand.

With that, she took her leave, for now. I stopped smiling and frowned, again. _I sure frown a lot since I woke up... _I closed my eyes and got back into my thoughts. _What happen after I saw her? I swear I was awake a little... Hayate told me that I collapsed so... If I'm here now, someone did bring me here... And those clothes... aren't mine. Who help me?_ I blushed as the image of the blond past on my mind. _No way could it ever be her..._

"Is she woke up, sensei?" A voice I knew too well asked. "Hayate-chan told us earlier to come and see..."

"Suzuka-chan!" I exclaimed as I sat on the bed. "Tell me it's just a bad dream!" _Please, I really don't want it to be... _My thoughts were cut off with a punch on my head. "Ouch!" Then I saw Alisa smiling at me.

"It's no dream, sleepyhead. See, it did hurt." _I swear... This girl is the reincarnation of the devil..._

I pouted. "What happen to me? One thing, I'm running late for school and the other, I'm here in the infirmary, not in my clothes and a whole day pass..."

"Well..." The nurse started, now beside me. "I'll explain. I was walking in the hall when a girl bounced into me. She had you on her back. She was pissed off in the beginning, but she was willing to let me bring you here. She told me you collapsed at the school's gate in a puddle."

"Who was she?" I asked even if I didn't want to know. I could see that Alisa was frowning from my reaction.

"She didn't tell me her name, but she had long blond hair, burgundy eyes and was very tall. It was her who changed you into these clothes..."

I could tell from their expression that I was either white or red... Or even the two if that was possible. _What... The... Hell...? She... She... _My head was getting hotter and hotter, my vision wasn't clear. All I could see was my friends getting worried and the nurse talking to me. I couldn't hear anymore. _I... She... I..._ And I collapsed again.

**-Alisa's POV...-**

_The hell? She collapsed again... Maybe the fever was worst then we thought... She was getting redder..._ I frowned and closed my eyes. _That's unlike her to be that fragile... What the hell happen this morning...?_ I felt someone took my hand. I looked at my left to see my girlfriend with a worried expression all over her face.

"She'll be alright." I told her, squeezing her hand. "She won't fall only because of a fever, you know."

She smiled and I did too. Then only, the silence was ruined by the noisy Hayate that barked into the room while screaming:

"Nanoha-chan! Momoko-san is on her way... to school..." She finished her sentence in a whisper when she saw her brunette friend asleep. "Did she fall asleep?"

"No, she collapsed again. Sensei was telling her what happen and then she fell." I told our excited friend.

"Ok, but, what could have caused her to collapse again?" She asked the nurse while approaching the subject of the question.

"I was telling her how she was brought here and she was getting redder and redder..."

"About that mysterious blond girl in knight shiny armour? Oh..." She grinned. _Oh I really don't like when she smiled like that..._ "That explain everything then..."

"And what is it, Hayate-chan?" Asked Suzuka, who let go my hand. "Why? Does it have a meaning behind that?"

"That's right. From the explications of Shamal-sensei, the girl did look alike the one Nanoha-chan bounced into at the mall, the other day, right? And don't tell me you we're worried when Nanoha was a little more off then normally that afternoon."

"That's right... It could be her." My girlfriend confirmed. "But, why Nanoha collapsed then?"

"Maybe she doesn't like the girl..." I growled in my breath.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Hayate continued. _I hate it when she does that... _"By the way she collapsed; it's more like she was embarrassed. So...!"

"Wait." I stopped her before she could go on her trail of statements. "Her face was red, but her arms and hands were white mostly... She looked more like a ghost with a fever to me."

"But...!" She wanted to argue, but one look from Suzuka made her swallow hastily her words.

I sighed. _She's a good girl, but sometimes, she needs someone to stop her._ I frowned when I saw Nanoha moving in her sleep. _Guess we will have answers soon..._

**-Fate's POV, her house, 7 o'clock pm...-**

_I have work in less than an hour. I should get myself ready._ My 'homework' was finished and my mother was sleeping. Everything was under control. _Or so..._ I thought. There was only one thing that bugged me a lot that day. _Takamachi Nanoha..._ The girl I bounced into two times. One at the mall and one when she collapsed – earlier that day – in the rain... _If I keep myself to cross her path all the time, she'll think I'm a sort of stalker or something..._

I sighed. I took my way out of the house to the bus stop, on automatic. _I hope she's alright... She had a fever back this morning. I remember seeing some friends with her the other day; she must be taken care of... Not like myself... _I darkly smiled. _I'm glad for her..._

I looked at the sky; I was in front of my job. _My automatic self is getting better... __I don't remember walking all the way here._ I sighed for the umpteenth time. _Well... Better get myself to work._ I thought as I entered the building.

**-Nanoha's POV, her house, same time...-**

I was in my bed. For that: I was happy. My mother was sitting on the end of the bed watching me with a really worried look all over her face. For that: I was not that happy...

"I'm ok mom." I repeated myself, while yawning, for the tenth time. "I just need some sleep..." _I'm more then tired to collapse like that... I'm not anaemic for god sake!_

"Sweat heart! You were late at school, collapsed in the rain, skipped the first day and sleep all day long and collapsed again! You want me to think you're ok?" My mother almost cried in her sentences. "You didn't have enough sleep at school? Are you sure you're telling me everything?"

I blushed under the cover. _You want me to say that I'm more then embarrassed to have been undressed by the beautiful mysterious blond I meet this summer?_ I sarcastically told myself. "There's nothing more, mom. I'm alright." _Hayate and Alisa sure jumped on my head back there too, I really don't need everyone to do that..._

I heard my mother sighed and she walked out of my room and told me as she closed the light:

"Be sure to come to me if anything, goodnight honey."

"'night mom..." I said enough loud for her to hear me as I let myself to sleep.

_September 10__th__, noon_

**-Nanoha's POV, cafeteria, 1220 hours...-**

I let my head fall hard on the table of the cafeteria. I was more than blame and tired... _Why me...?_ I didn't have any appetite or anything: I just really wanted this beautiful nightmare to stop. My friends were worried about me but I couldn't care less.

"You sure seem out of everything, Nanoha-chan." Suzuka stated. "What happen?"

_What happen...? It was the most horrible week I ever had. Monday: I collapsed two times. Tuesday: I tried to exclude myself but made it worst: I run – literally – into her three times. Wednesday: I got trouble with the gym's teacher and she took the blame for me. Yesterday: I didn't see her and even found myself searching for her almost all day long until I heard she was sick... And for today: I fell asleep in class and was dreaming of her again... That's really awkward... And I didn't sleep much for this first week... _Today was the last day of school for the week and I really thanked the gods for the technical problem that had the school... _If not, I would have school tomorrow._ I suddenly felt my shoulder being kindly shacked by Hayate.

"What is it, Hayate-chan?" I offered them a fake smile but it didn't work... It even made them angrier and more worried.

"Stop the faking smile and tell us what the hell happens to you." Alisa roughly said to me. _I can't blame her... I'm really acting weird since then._

"Nothing... really... happen... I just have some problem to sleep at night." That was true; I couldn't sleep when I was remembering her. _Maybe it's better if they do know..._

"Nanoha." Hayate spoke without saying the honorific. _That's a rare sight..._ "Could you not lie to us? I'm sure Alisa is about to jump and fight you anytime soon..." She laughed saying that, but Alisa was really angry on me.

I sighed. "I... I'm sorry... It's just that... that I can't get something out of my mind..." I said in a whisper.

"We clearly saw that Nanoha." Alisa calmed herself. "And what is on your mind? We could help you..."

I shook my head and closed my eyes. "It's something I want to clear myself..."

I heard Alisa growl and Hayate's laugh. "You really are too stubborn, Nanoha. You should relate on your friends more often." The short blond hair girl scolded me.

I sighed again and blushed deeply. "It's just... That blond girl... She's so... mysterious. She's beautiful and she moves with such grace... But she has those sad eyes... I want to help her, but... in the end; she's always saving me..." _I want to know more of her..._ I closed my eyes.

There was a really awkward silence after my statements. _I don't like this..._ A chill went past through my body as I heard Hayate's laugh. I opened slowly my eyes to see my brunette friend was holding her stomach and was bursting in laughs. Alisa was frowning and Suzuka was smiling. _What the..._

"You're... You're just impossible!" Hayate laughed at me. "As I though! You didn't collapse the second time because of the fever... It was because of her!"

"You're laughing too loud, Hayate-chan..." Suzuka tried to calm the hysteric girl. "Nanoha-chan, please, don't listen to her... Please continue."

I frowned again. _I'm frowning a lot these days..._ "I just want to become friend with her... She seems so alone by time..."

My purple hair friend smile motherly to me and Alisa was finally happy to hear it all... But Hayate was still laughing to die. _It's not that funny that I collapsed and couldn't sleep because of her..._ Before the laughing girl could say anything, the first bell rang.

"We have biology, Nanoha. We should be going; it's the opposite way from here." Alisa told me while she got up.

I soon follow her and said my 'goodbyes' to the other two. The walk to the class was made in pure silence. _Alisa-chan doesn't seem angry anymore. I'm happy._ And I smiled.

**-Meanwhile – Alisa's POV...-**

_Nanoha's been thinking about it all week long... Maybe that girl did something to Nanoha... _I growled and Nanoha looked at me, smiling. _She's too innocent to take advantage of her! Mysterious blond girl, I'm not going to give Nanoha the easy way!_ I warned her in my head.

**-Meanwhile – somewhere near school, Fate's POV...-**

I was sitting at the base of a big tree while thinking again about that Nanoha Takamachi when I snooze. _Someone must be thinking badly about me... Wonder who it is..._ I readjust my position and fell asleep; I couldn't care less about classes...

**-Later – Nanoha's POV, after school, 1530 hours...-**

I stretched myself in front of my locker, changed my shoes and went outside the school, waiting for my late friends. _Rain... Again?_ I sighed; I did bring an umbrella, but it always made me sad to see the rain. _Makes me think that someone is always crying..._ I opened the umbrella and put it over my head. I decided to walk a little until Hayate and the others arrived.

I walked and walked on automatic until I saw someone on the ground, under a tree. I approached and saw a blond hair girl. _Not again? Maybe God really loves to play tricks on me... But what is she doing under the rain like this? _I kneeled beside her and put the umbrella over her to protect her.

"H-hey, are you o-ok?" I tried to say the normal way, but failed at it marvellously. "Y-you'll get w-wet if you s-stay like t-this..." _I'm sure she could compare me to a tomato like this..._

She opened her eyes and looked at me. "Oh. It's raining?" _Yes it is..._ "Thanks for telling me... Is school over?"

"Y-yes, not too l-long ago..." _How could she had the time to come here to fall asleep and not seeing that it's raining in less than ten minutes...?_ "W-why are you h-here?" I asked her as she and I stood up.

She looked right into my blue eyes with such intensely that I could feel my legs shaking. "I fell asleep at lunch time." _She slept all afternoon?_

Her eyes were intense. She approached me and when there were less than a foot between us, she told me:

"Can we go back? Or you plan to watch me all day long?" I didn't see the tease at beginning and respond hastily while blushing even more:

"Yes! Err... No! Err..."

She slightly giggled. _Her laugh... is so good to hear. _It was a real one, nothing I ever heard. I smiled at her and we started to walk in a comfortable silence. _She looked so sad but when she laughs, she seems so happy..._ The way to school from the tree was too short if I might say. When we reached the lockers, we stayed there. Burgundy eyes met blue. _Such beautiful sad eyes... Why can't I help her...?_ The silence then broke with her comment while she turned away and started to walk:

"Thank you for the umbrella... I will take my leave now, take well Takamachi-san."

And before I knew it, Hayate was in front of me and there were no sight of the tall girl. _I forgot to ask her name... _My friend was smiling as I was back into the reality.

"What are you smiling for Hayate-chan?" I innocently asked. _Please... She didn't saw me with her, right?_

"I've been in front of you for five minutes and you were still in dreamland. That girl surely can take you out from reality." She grinned. _Great... Suzuka won't help me in this one..._ "Maybe we'll need to make investigation into the case of the mysterious blond in shiny armour." She took off her bag a hat, a coat and a magnifying glass. _From where did she...? Nanoha, better not ask..._ She was now looking like Sherlock Holmes. "Where should I start...?" She was grinning even more when she approached me. _Crap... Alisa's smiling too... I won't get out of this..._ "Nanoha-chan, suspect number one of the investigation... Where were you today at 1540 hours?" _Where was I...?_

"I was outside, walking under the rain when I saw her asleep..." _Great... I just dig my grave..._

Hayate was grinning from ears to ears. _She has no stop... Makes me wonder from time to time if she's human... _"Oh...? Then that explains why she was wet..."

Alisa frowned. "Please Hayate, don't traumatize her..."

I thought out loud. "W-w-w-w-what? W-w-w-wet? I-it w-w-was f-from t-t-the r-rain!" _I'm so dead!_

Suzuka laughed a little. "Hayate-chan sure loves to play with Nanoha-chan."

Hayate smiled, but withdrew from my personal space. "I shall withdraw for today. I need get more proof before suspecting anything." She laughed a little. "This is going to be very interesting. Anyway... Shall we be going?"

I blinked so as Alisa. "Err, where? _I should be more careful from now on._

"Well, Nanoha-chan, we're going to home! Where else?" She told me as she started walking through the door. _Oh, right. Home. I forgot about that..._

"Nyahahah..."

I followed suit. _Well, it's not that bad after all._ I smiled and the day became brighter all of the sudden. I hummed some song and Alisa shook my head with her hand.

"You seem happier, what's new?" She smiled to me.

I grinned. "Well, I'm happy to have such greats friends like you guys." _And I really mean it. You're all the best._ I thought it but saying it would be too much embarrassing...

"Thanks, Nanoha-chan. It's the same for us too." My purple hair friend told me with her motherly smile. "But, as Alisa-chan said, you should relate on us more. We're here to help you, Nanoha-chan." _She sure loves to talk like an adult._

I smiled. "Hay~!" _I sure have great friends!_

"Oh, and Nanoha-chan?" Hayate started as I looked at her. "Don't think you can escape from my investigation..." She grinned. _...I thought too soon..._ "This is just getting started."

I chocked hard as they all started to laugh. _This is going to be rougher then I thought..._


	3. Chapter 3

A/N

Sorry for the lateness~ I got difficulty making this one... Now I think I understand the authors that take time to update their work...! I had the 'blank page syndrome'... hope you'll like it either way!

Disclaimer: **Alert!** Alert to everyone! I don't own MGLN! **Alert!**

Please be tolerant with my English

Thanks in advance for reading.

And it continues...

A/N

"What is right?"

_Nanoha Takamachi_

"It's a lie that we create to end our pain of the unknown."

_Fate Testarossa_

Episode 3: Why can't she go out of my mind?

_September 13__th__, nearly morning_

**-Nanoha's POV – 4 o'clock am...-**

**Vrrrr~ Vrrrr~**

"Mmmnn?" I made when I heard my cell phone vibrate. "Who...?"

I tried to take my cell phone but it slipped and fell on the floor. I groaned and finally took it after some time.

The caller ID: Hayate-chan... _Great...Calling me at..._ I looked at the clock: 0438 hours. _Grrr..._ I opened it and took the call.

"Hello...?" I asked, not too loud.

"_Hello Nanoha-chan! Are you ready to go to school?"_ I heard the cheerful voice of my friends over the phone.

"You call me at 4 am to ask me that...?" I wasn't happy but my tone was more like desperate than angry. "You didn't call me only for that... Want do you really want?"

"_Perceptive as always, Nanoha-chan! I like that!"_ She happily said to me. _"I would like you to come see me at school early to attempt the baking club before it's full. If we don't do that, they might be no place for us then... Is it ok with you?"_

"Yes..." I sighed, defeated. "I'll see you at half past 7 ok?"

"_Ok~! See you later, Nanoha-chan!"_ And she hung up.

_Great... It took me a whole week to be able to sleep normally and she woke me super early! I'm sure going to take her for that... _I darkly thought as I got up. I did some stretches before getting out of my room. _Dad must be at the dojo with nii-san. Maybe onee-chan went out for her morning run... Mom must be downstairs making breakfast... As I thought, I'm the only one who hasn't anything to do..._ The thoughts were getting darker and darker when I gathered myself to the kitchen to see my mom making food. When she saw me, she frowned.

"You're up early... And what's with the gloomy mood?" She asked, letting the food were it was and walking to me.

I sighed. _I don't want to worry her..._ "Hayate-chan just called me and wants me to school earlier..." That wasn't all the truth, but it wasn't a lie either.

"You're not telling me everything, honey..." She added with a sigh. _Right, like if I'm going to tell her that I finally get some sleep without thinking about that mysterious blond..._ "You can tell me everything." She smiled as she sat down at the table.

I joined her and I sighed for the umpteenth time. "Mom, there's something on my mind that prevented me to focus on anything and that took my night away..."

"Is it a boy?" She asked me with a grin.

"No! It's not a boy, it's a girl!" I blushed hardly.

"Oh...? And what's she's like?" She even smiled more.

"Mou! Mom, it's nothing like that!" I protected myself.

"Like what? I haven't said anything." Her smile was really starting to bug me.

"I'm going back to my room." I tried to escape but she took my arm with a kind grip.

"Darling, I was just pulling your leg." My mother started. "Please, explain what the problem with that mysterious girl is."

I sat down again and sighed even more. "She's really mysterious, yes. I want to become friends with her, but she seems unreachable... She's always gorgeous with her long blond hair and act with grace all the time. But her beautiful burgundy eyes always seem so s ad and pained... I would like to help her, but nothing is working..." After my statements, my mother smiled at me. _Ok, what is it this time?_

"Why don't you just try to catch her attention?"

"That's happen all the time! I ran into her about ten times in just one week, mom!" I exclaimed, maybe too early.

My mother laughed at me. "You seem like a stalker now, honey."

"No! Mou! Mom, it's really not funny! I can't sleep well because of all that!" I tried to explain the problem, but I dug my own grave, again...

"It's ok, Nanoha. You're young, it's normal. But, seriously. Nanoha, you should take more confidence in yourself. Don't act like you were trap all the time. You could make some progress like that." _Thanks mom!_

I smiled at her and went to change myself. The day will be long, but nothing could take down the new strength I gained that morning.

Well that's what I thought until later on at school...

**-Nanoha's POV, 1120 hours...-**

_I didn't expect this to happen... This is really going to kill me sometime soon..._ I thought as I sighed. I was sitting right beside the mysterious blond... She was wearing a fake smile, while waiting for the president of the swimming club to have her inside her office. For myself, I was waiting for Alisa and Suzuka... _How did it end up like this? Well, it started with me coming at school this morning..._

**-Flashback – Nanoha's POV, 8 o'clock am...-**

"_Hayate's late... She was the one who called me at 4 am to tell to come early at school... Mou...!" I thought out loud and with that, receiving weird looks from the people around. _Great! Talk about embarrassing myself...!

_I soon enough saw a certain brunette running to me._ She's finally here... with more than thirty minutes late... _She was smiling, like always. _

"_Well! You're here early!" I sarcastically told my late friend._

"_Right? I thought so me too!" She stabbed me back while grinning. "Hahaha... joke aside, we should be going now! We're running late and it will do the job to go at lunch time, don't you think so too?" She smiled again at me. _

I'm too smooth on her... _I sighed and followed Hayate in her run. _

_We ran and ran until something caught my eyes. I stopped myself and my friend in front of the student's board. _

"_Firsts classes dismiss...We don't have class before lunch!" I was happy, really happy. I literally jumped of joy with my sister-like friend._ We could check for clubs! What a lucky girl I am!_ I thought, again too soon. _

_My cell phone then rang. It was an e-mail from Alisa. Hayate went on my side and we started to read together. _

Where are you? You should start to search for clubs; it's a real mess around here! We're at the pool, see you soon 3

"_Nyahahah... Should we go to the bake club too?" I turned my head to my brunette friend._

"_No, not for now..." She was already in her Sherlock looks. Nice... "We're going to spy... err... see them!" _

_I evilly smile._ Now that's more like it! _"It's going to be funny, don't you think Hayate?" I took the Watson outfit; a rounded hat and a walking stick with some glasses._

_She agreed and we both were in our spying game._

**-Later – the pool...-**

"_There they are!" I pointed our prey near the office club at the right of the doors of the pool. "They're talking to some sempai I think...!" My friend agreed at my right._

I don't think our position is the best Hayate-chan..._ We were 'hiding' behind a not-so-huge plant. Suzuka was smiling beside our blond friend instead of the blond that was talking to the upper class man. He was tall and has long blond hair just like the mysterious blond..._ Must be the club president... He's kind of like her... Handsome, kind of mysterious even... He doesn't have her beautiful eyes; he has them green.

"_-noha-chan... Nanoha-chan!" Hayate brought me back out of my reveries. "What are you doing spacing out like that? Daydreaming again about her?" She grinned to me._

"_No!" I exclaimed, really red from being caught daydreaming about her. "I didn't think about that blond!" I shouted this time. _Now, we're busted...

"_Who said I was talking about a blond specifically?"_ Really nice, Hayate-chan...

"_Hayate-" I started, but was interrupted by a short blond hair girl how seemed really not happy._ Thank you so much Nanoha to be that easy to read... _I scolded myself._

"_What are you doing here? I thought you were going to the bakery club?"_

"_That was the plan, but Hayate-chan wanted to see if everything's good here... Nyahahah..." I tried to explain but clearly failed in my half-lie. _

"_Oh yeah? And why, then, were you hiding behind a plant to see if things were alright? And what's with those stupid outfits anyway?" _

"_Okay, okay, Alisa-chan! We were spying on you two! Are you happy now?" Hayate asked with a big smile on her face. _No I don't think that she'll be happy...

"_You are so going to die Hayate!" Alisa angered on her fellow 'friend' while crunching her fits and her teeth. "This is no warning!" She shouted at our nearly late friend as she ran after her. _I have many mature friends..._ I sweat dropped. _

"_She seems in good mood; don't you think Nanoha-chan?" I jumped in surprise. "You seem somehow out of it today... Is something wrong?" Suzuka asked me with her motherly smile._

I sighed again. "Well... Let's say that many things happened this morning..." I responded _with a sad smile._

_She put her right hand on my shoulder. "Just don't push yourself too much, Nanoha-chan. Or else, Alisa-chan won't be happy." She smiled at that and I too. _

_We waited patiently the return of our fellow blond and when she returned, the two of them entered the office of the swimming club. Hayate didn't come back, or so I thought. _Is she really dead? Hope not... _I laughed at the silly though and went to sit on the bench near. _

"_Are you waiting for the swimming club, Takamachi-san?" A voice I could recognize everywhere asked to my left. _

"_N-no! I'm w-waiting for some f-friends..." The mysterious blond faked a smile and went sitting beside me..._

**-Back to the present – Nanoha's POV, 1120 hours...-**

_Why does it always happen to me? _I sighed and she looked at me with a worried face."Err...! Are y-you g-going in the c-club, err..." I blurred out with my face all red.

She smiled and shook her head in affirmative."Fate... Fate Testarossa."

I smiled and tested her name. "Fate Testarossa... Fate... Fate-chan!"

She seemed surprise but she giggled at me and my tomato face. Then I realized that I didn't ask her permission.

"Err, is it ok that I call you that?" I asked her with puppy eyes.

She laughed more. _Oh... I love how she laughs..._ "Only if I can call you Nanoha."

"Yes!" I smiled and took her hand without thinking. "I'll be very pleased!"

An awkward smile appeared on her. "Very well, Nanoha. But before anything else, I think your friends need you now."

I wasn't sure of what she was talking about, but when I turned myself I saw not only Hayate, but also Alisa and Suzuka waiting non-patiently for me. If I was a tomato before, then I was now as red as the coat of Santa Claus. _Now I really think that God hate me..._

"Nanoha-chan! Can you please present us to your new friend here?" Hayate asked mischievously at the two of us.

"She's right Nanoha-chan. Present us." Alisa smiled victoriously.

I sighed. "Well, then... Hayate-chan, Alisa-chan and Suzuka-chan, This is Fate Testarossa. Fate-chan, those are Hayate Yagami, Alisa Bannings and Suzuka Tsukimura."

Fate got up and shook the hand of each girl presented. "Yagami-san, Bannings-san and Tsukimura-san. A pleasure."

"Well met. But please, call me Suzuka. No formalities between friends." Our 'mother' Suzuka told the new recruit. _Don't bit her please..._

Fate seemed again surprise but regained herself. _She seems tense... What is her secret...?_ "It's a pleasure to meet you all, but I have an assignment with Scrya-san for now."

"You'll be with us for the club?" Suzuka asked with a smile while Alisa tensed on her side.

I watched their exchange and didn't put any mind in it; my mind where somewhere else... _Fate-chan... Fate-chan..._ I tasted over and over her name in my head until she turned to face me. I smiled at her and she did too.

"Well, have a pleasant day, Nanoha. I'll see you around." And before I could answer, she was gone in the office.

I smiled to myself. _What a pleasant day indeed... _I almost forgot about my friends when Hayate told me:

"You shouldn't be addict to drugs Nanoha-chan. You're Fate-chan-o-maniac!"

To that, I reddened more while she was laughing to tears. Alisa was frowning but she didn't comment. _What's wrong with Alisa-chan?_ Suzuka seemed to find Hayate funny.

"Can we go eat? I'm hungry!" I tried successfully to change the subject and even my belly help me with making sounds.

"That's a great idea, Nanoha-chan." Suzuka seemed to see the subtlety in my words and she supported me. _Thank you, Suzuka-chan..._ I silently thanked her and she shook her head to me with a smile. _Sometimes I wonder if she does have psychic powers..._

**-Nanoha's POV – 4 o'clock pm...-**

The day was at last finish and as soon as I enter home, a suddenly fatigue took me.

"I'm home..." I barely whispered.

"Welcome home, Nanoha!" I heard my sister.

She went to greet me, but I passed beside her and went directly to my bedroom to sleep.

**-Miyuki's POV – same time...-**

"Mom, Nanoha seems off today. Do you know what happen?" I asked her while gathering myself to the kitchen. "Is it bad?"

"It seems that we'll be only four to eat tonight. But it is nothing to worry about." She paused. "Come here; help me with this, Miyuki." She responded in her calm self. _I wonder what it is... Maybe ask nii-san later..._

"Hai!"

**-Momoko's POV – same time...-**

_She's going in a difficult phase of life where everything doesn't work. Nanoha's a strong girl, she'll make it out somehow, I trust her._ I smiled. "Come here; help me with this, Miyuki." _Everything's going to be alright, mother's intuition._

_September 14__th__, 10 o'clock_

**-Nanoha's POV – in the classroom...-**

_I didn't see Fate-chan today... I wonder if she's again skipping on class._ It was personal work for the hour and I got nothing to do; all my homework was done, I didn't feel to sleep and Hayate wasn't there. _Wonderful day..._ I sighed and put my head in my head, looking down at the table. A chill suddenly passed in me, making myself looking around to see nothing wrong. _Is Fate-chan in trouble? Wait... Why did I just think of her? She's making my head spins..._ I frowned.

**BAM!**

I turned my head to see Hayate in the door, seeming somewhat frustrated. She walked hastily to me and took her chair at my right while crossing her arms. The classroom went dead silence, but soon enough regain the vitality it had before.

"What is it Hayate-chan? Is something wrong...?" I wasn't sure how to talk to her when she was like this.

"Nanoha, please, don't get mad... But... There isn't any place left in the bakery club... I'm sorry..." I sighed at that and even laughed a little. "Why are you laughing, Nanoha-chan?" Hayate looked worried and I gave her a smile.

"I thought it was worst then this, like if you lost your favourite costume or something like that. And don't worry, we could always see later and ask if they'll have changes with the members. We have time." _You could always go to the same club as Fate-chan, Nanoha. _I stopped smiling at the silly thought and chased away the feeling in me. "Did you talk to the president of the club?"

"No, I just see on the door that it was full..." She said with a sad face like if she was about to cry. And then it hit me.

"Why are you so concern anyway? You could always go to the cosplay club, ne?" I tried to understand the real meaning behind this entire charade.

"It's full too! Can you understand how I feel? It's unbelievable! Everyone's against me!" _Now I understand the gloomy mood..._

I sighed at her exaggeration and I looked at the time: 1100 hours. The hour of liberty was finishing soon and so I pushed away in my mind Hayate and her problem. _What's Fate doing right now?_ I looked out the window at my left and then I saw her sitting under a tree. _She's skipping again? She'll get cough if she staying there..._ I say a teacher coming that way and panic run inside me. I got up, exactly when our teacher was entering the classroom, and I wave at her._ You silly Nanoha! You're at the third floor! She won't see you!_ Then Fate turned her gaze to me and I pointed the teacher outside. She ran to hide herself in a bush. _See, she saw me!_ I smiled at her when she got out and she thanked me with a bright smile. I blushed hard and when I saw her smile fade, I sensed a hand on my shoulder. _Why is Hayate bugging me now...? _I turned to see her but it was someone else... The math teacher glared at me and I was out the classroom in my way to the director.

"I didn't expect you'll do this, Takamachi-san. Protecting the skipping girl outside isn't a good idea..."

_Really Nanoha that was a fail from you... Even the teacher tells you this..._ When we got there, I saw Fate with the teacher from the outside. She smiled at me and I returned the gesture.

"You'll be in great trouble, you two." The math teacher told us while we were smiling.

**-Some times later...-**

"We only got out with a detention. Not bad." Fate said out loud. I frowned. "What is it, Nanoha?"

"You shouldn't skip class, it brings trouble..." I responded with a worried expression.

We walked to the detention's room and only when we sat down that Fate answered my unspoken question.

"I know, I'll try not to."

I smiled at her and took her hand in mine. "Thank you." _This is embarrassing...!_

Fate was impossible to read but she gave me a squeeze that was saying: _You're welcome._

**-Nanoha's POV – her house, 5 o'clock pm...-**

"I'm home." I only said while putting off my shoes. I looked up to see my mother frowning at me. "Mom, I'm-"

"Nanoha! The school called me to say that you were in detention because you covered a girl from skipping classes... I want explications now." She didn't yell or anything. _I'm so dead tonight..._

"Fate-chan was skipping class and I saw a teacher coming by and I told her to hide, but my teacher saw that and brought us to the director... And we got detention. I asked her not to skip again and she promised me..." I stopped when I heard my mother sighed.

"Yesterday, you didn't eat with us and now you protect a rebel girl... Don't rebel yourself, Nanoha..." She said, sad.

"I won't rebel, mom! I'm sorry for yesterday, but I kind of follow your advice and that worked quite well, we're now friends. And, for today, it won't happen again! I promise!" I tried to sound the surer of myself and it worked.

"Ok, honey, I trust you." She smiled at me. "In exchange for the unexpected detention, you'll have to tell me all about that 'Fate-chan', ok?" She was grinning now and a sweat drop was now creating on my head.

"Nyahahah..." _Guess it's not tonight that I'm dying... Guess too that Fate-chan will think she got a cold with us talking about her like this... _I laughed at the thought.

**-Fate's POV – her house, same time...-**

I snorted, again. _It's the fifth time now..._ G_uess I have a cold... Mother wasn't please with my detention... _I looked at my punishment: chains at my feet and hands with scratches all over me. I was in a sitting position and couldn't move much. _For 3 hours I need to stay like this... More if she forgot about me. I wonder if Nanoha got punish too...? _I snorted. _I guess not... She's always surround with caring people... Why does she want to be my friend? I guess I can't understand humans' feeling well... _I readjusted my position._ Could I ever understand them? No... Because I'm no human like her... Nanoha... Why can't you get out of my mind? _I snorted. _This is going to be a long night..._


	4. Chapter 4

A/N

The last chapter was full of mistake! I'm sorry and from now on, I'll try to make better chapter with less mistakes! That I swear! I kind of think this one is weird... But maybe it's only me! I hope so! Anyhow, have a nice reading! ^_^

Disclaimer: PLEASE! I don't own MGLN! Don't misunderstand!

Please be tolerant with my English

Thanks in advance for reading.

And it continues...

A/N

"What is determination?"

_Nanoha Takamachi_

"It's what that brings you to do things that otherwise you don't do."

_Fate Testarossa_

Episode 4: A new record

_September 15__th__, 1630 hours_

**-Suzuka's POV – the pool-**

Fate was swimming like a fish with her body shaped like one of an athlete. She wasn't too fast or too slow: she just wasn't doing her best and I saw it from the beginning of the practice. I didn't know for Alisa, but she was watching her as well. _Guess I'll ask her later. For now, Fate-chan isn't showing her real strength and this is really starting to bug me... Why is she only working the minimum into practice?_ Fate was now getting out of the water and she went to see our president with her towel in her hand. I gathered myself discreetly near enough to hear their conversation.

"You are good Fate-san. You don't even seem exhausted from the hard practice we had today." He complimented her.

"I just have a good breath, nothing to be impressed of, Scrya-san." She easily shoved off the comment of the other blond.

"Please, call me Yuuno. And I wouldn't be that impressed if you were to break records here." He smiled at her. _He knows that she doesn't push herself... Good, make her work for the team, Scrya-san..._

"I'm not that good; Alisa would be even more adept to break them than me. I'm no good against her." Fate protected herself without even flinching. _She's good with words..._

I stopped to listen to them when I saw Nanoha and Hayate at the entrance of the pool. I smiled and took myself to them.

"My... What are you two doing here?" I simply asked them. I could see clear well that Nanoha was glancing to where Fate and Yuuno were.

"We were returning from the baking club. Nanoha-chan talked to the president and maybe she'll accept us soon!" She took off her bag her camera. "But for now, just don't mind me..." And she was off to take pictures._ Some won't change even with time… _

"And you Nanoha? What will you do now?" I heard Alisa coming beside me. "Do you want us to go home with you?"

The girl in question was now in a trance. _What could she possibly be thinking all the time she see Fate-chan? _I smiled and shook lightly her left shoulder.

"Eh-... Who...? Suzuka-chan! I didn't see you..." She regained herself in the reality. She suddenly had fear all over her face. "Why is Alisa-chan glaring at me?"

I saw my girlfriend staring at Nanoha. _She should be that way, it's normal for teenagers to wander... _I decided then to pinch her. She let out a little scream and glared at me when I was smiling. Of course, Nanoha didn't catch our little interaction.

"Alright! Nanoha-chan, please wait a little, we're going home earlier today." I had a plan in mind. "Alisa-chan, go see Hayate-chan and _try_ to bring her. Nanoha-chan and I will go see the president and Fate-chan." Alisa seemed to be somewhat frustrated, but she did as I said. _Sometimes I wonder who has the pants between us._ I smiled at that thought.

**-Fate's POV – same place, same time...-**

"You should practice more and then you could become the star of the team!" Yuuno exclaimed; a little too much exited for me.

I smile awkwardly at him. "I'm not good enough, and we both... know it..." I stopped when I saw Suzuka and Nanoha coming to us. _Saved at last!_ "Good day to you Nanoha. Glad to see you again, Suzuka."

"H-hi Fate-chan." Nanoha barely said out loud. _Why's she nervous? Did something happen...? Hope not..._

"We'll be going home, sorry about that Scrya-san. Would you like come with us, Fate-chan?" Suzuka went right to her goal. "We could always go to some place to eat or drink something."

Yuuno was making a worried face and Nanoha was silently begging me to come. _What should I do...? I can't come with them because of mother, but if I stay, I'll have to do more practice..._ "I'm sorry Suzuka, but I can't. Another time perhaps." _Great now Nanoha is sad..._ I took my towel, put it on a bench near and give Nanoha a sorry smile. "I guess I need to do more lengths for Yuuno, I'm sorry Nanoha. See you tomorrow." I waved at her before sinking in the water. _It's better if we don't stay near, Nanoha... I'm sorry..._

**-Nanoha's POV – her home, 1800 hours...-**

"Honey, are you here?" My mother knocked at my door and entered. "You have a... What's with the sad face?" I heard the worried voice of my mother from behind. "Is everything alright? You didn't talk much at diner..."

I frowned and didn't answer. _What could I possibly answer here! That I'm sad that my new friend is reclusive and that she avoids me?_ I sighed. I was in my bedroom sitting at my desk with my homework in front of me. Even if I wasn't doing them, I didn't want to be bothered. _Well, not by mom. I want to be alone..._

"What is it mom?" I turned to face her, knowing she won't let me go easily. "Did you need something?"

"You have a call from Tsukimono-chan..." I jumped on my two feet and took the telephone forcefully.

"Hello?" I almost shouted.

"_Hi, Nanoha-san. It's Tsukimono Akira. I would like to ask you if you and your friend would still be interested to enter the club. We had some members that withdraw today..." _I heard the calm voice of my sempai from the other side.

"Yes! I would love too! And Hayate-chan too!" _I'm so happy! _

"_I'm happy to have such energetic kouhai like you two! The dates for the club are the Wednesday and the Thursday. I hope to see you both tomorrow." _Akira laughed at me.

"Yes! Thank you sempai! We'll see you tomorrow! Goodnight sempai!" I smiled even if I knew she couldn't see me.

"_Goodnight." _She hung up. _I'm blessed! _

I turned in circle and laughed out loud. I couldn't care less of everything else. _Nyahahah, when Fate-chan will know, she will be happy too._

"That's nice to see you joyful again, but care to explain me, honey?" I saw my mother smiled at me. "I would like to understand."

"Today, Hayate and I went to see the baking club, but it was full... We went to see Fate-chan, Suzuka-chan and Alisa-chan, but Fate-chan couldn't come home with us... She seems to avoid me..." My face saddened. _Why was she avoiding me...?_ "That call was the president of the club and now we are members! Oh! I need to call Hayate-chan!" I passed from pain to happiness like it was nothing. _I'll talk to Fate-chan tomorrow for this!_

I blinked when I saw that my mother wasn't there when I called Hayate. _She must be downstairs..._

"_Hello?"_ I heard the voice of my best friend and I smiled a bit too much. _"Why are you calling me Nanoha? You could have texted..."_

"Hayate-chan! Tsukimono-sempai called me just a minute ago and tomorrow we'll be members! Isn't that awesome?" I could barely talk normally and couldn't without shouting. "We're now in the baking club!"

I didn't hear anything from Hayate until I heard her screamed far from the phone. I smiled.

"_That's so awesome! We'll make the greatest team Nanoha-chan! We'll make every other member regret to be even born!"_ Hayate exaggerated while grinning – that I was sure she was.

"Nyahahah... It's so nice. I guess tomorrow will be a great day..." My thought changed slowly to Fate. _Is there something I could do about it?_

"_Hey, about Fate-chan, what will you do?" _Hayate suddenly asked._ Is she reading my thoughts?_ I stepped back in my mind. _"You could ask her to come with us shopping Sunday. I bet she would come." _She encouraged me even if we both knew that Fate wouldn't come.

"Thanks Hayate-chan, I'll ask her tomorrow. For now, I need to finish my homework."

"_Hahaha, it was nothing. Everything for you Nanoha-chan! I'll see you tomorrow morning, 'night!"_ She hung up before I could answer her. I sighed happily.

_Everything's going to be alright, Nanoha. Get a hold of yourself and finish your homework now!_ I told myself. _Tomorrow's going to be a good day._

_September 16__th__, noon..._

**-Nanoha's POV – cafeteria...-**

"Alisa-chan, I beg you on my knees! Let me take pictures of you two in swimsuit!" Hayate wasn't taking a break and she was harassing poor little Alisa.

"First of all; you're not even on your knees and second; you're disturbing everyone with your shouting! Get yourself a life!" Alisa shouted the face all red.

"I'm hurt Alisa-chan! I do have a life... I take pictures of cute girl!" The brunette told the blond with an argument that had no values.

"That's why I said go get a life!" Alisa was seeing as red as her face.

"And you yell at me all the time! I'm very hurt!" Hayate faked tears and a sad face.

"My, Alisa-chan, please. You're making a scene and that's what Hayate wants..." Suzuka tried to make a peace but was brutally cut by her best friend.

"You're going to hell Hayate!"

_It's good to see them in good relationship..._I sarcastically told myself. _Dad, nii-san and nee-san went away this morning, I haven't seen Fate-chan today and I need to listen to their arguments..._ I sighed when I heard them screamed again in background. "Will you both shut up?" I coldly asked them with the calmest voice I had.

They turned their gaze over me and they both shut up. I sighed and walked away. _Why do they always have arguments? Don't they get tired of it? Maybe I should ask Hayate-chan lat- _

**THUD!**

My thoughts were cut when I bounced in someone else. _Is it me or I bounce in people all the time...? _I shook my head to regain all my senses and tried to identify the person I jumped on.

"I'm sorry! Are you alright... Fate-chan!" I kind of yelled when I saw her under many books. "I'm so sorry!" _And most of all, it's her! I have no luck today..._

She giggled. "It's alright. I was lost in thoughts too." _Great! Now that I have bounced on her, how can I make it out?_

I gave her a hand to help her get back on her feet and when we both were nose to nose; the world but us disappeared. _W-w-w-what? T-t-t-too c-c-close!_ My head was spinning and my heart was about to explode. A tomato would look bland beside my red face. _W-w-what's h-h-happening?_ Fate was calm and had an unreadable expression, as always.

**-Fate's POV – same place, same time...-**

_Is Nanoha alright? She has such a cute expression that makes me worries... What? Did I just say cute? _I pushed off those unclear thoughts and stepped back to give us space.

"Are you alright Nanoha?" _She's all red... Does she have a fever?_ "Do you need to go to the infirmary?"

"I-I'm alright! S-sorry! Err... I g-guess I should h-help you to bring t-those books." She said almost too fast to understand but I did understand her.

I took her hand when she was trying to get all the books by herself, making them fell again on the floor. "Nanoha." I gave her a worried look. "Are you alright? You seem abnormal today... Something is... bugging you."

She flinched and tried to get out of my grip, but I didn't let her go. "I... I..."

"You...?" I kindly pushed her more. _What is bothering you Nanoha?_

"I... I'm sorry... But I..." She trailed on and escaped from my grip with a sudden strength. "I... I'm worried..."

"About what? You can tell me Nanoha." I smiled at her, encouraging her to continue.

She went redder. _Is she angry? _"I would like... I would like to know... if you would like to... come with us, Sunday, to go shopping..." She whispered under her breath.

I laughed and faked a smile. "It was all? You had scared me here." _Guess she's just uneasy with me as I thought... She's just to kind to say it in clear words... But I kind of expected she would have said something else... _I pushed away those thoughts. "But I'm sorry... I have things to do Sunday at home..." I stopped when I saw her saddened. "But... we can go somewhere after clubs today if you want to." _Why am I doing this...? Mother won't like this... I'm too soft... Why...?_

When I saw her face began to bright up and had a smile on it, I forgot all about my mother and my troubles. _She has such a bright smile..._

"G-great! Err... I'll t-talk to you l-later!" She blurred out and ran away.

I blinked in surprise and finally smiled. _Well... Isn't she cute?_ I took my books and went the other way.

**-Hayate's POV – near the scenario, same time...-**

_My, my, my... Isn't this kind of lovely?_ I grinned for myself. _I was just following her and she gave me a show! Thank you Nanoha-chan...!_ I was laughing while holding preciously my camera. _I saw it all, Nanoha-chan... You can't get out of my grip now! _

"Muwahahahah!" I didn't care what people near thought when they heard me. _I'm so evil._ I smiled.

**-Nanoha's POV – Baking club, 1640 hours...-**

"Hayate, you hold the knife like this." I taught her the right way. "Otherwise, you'll cut yourself."

She did as I told her and she cut almost perfectly the cake we- err, she just made. It was supposed to be an exercise of our ability to cook and the president was honoured by our work. _But I failed at it today... If Hayate-chan wasn't here, the whole class would have burned at least three or four times..._ I sighed. _Fate-chan takes too much place in my mind... _I began to blush.

"It's alright Nanoha-san and Hayate-san. You did a great job." We heard our sempai from behind. "You can go home now, your sempai are going to clean the room."

"Hai!" We both answered. "See you next week!"

We made our way to the Great Hall, changed our pair of shoes and went out of the school to meet Fate, Alisa and Suzuka. _I'm so happy that Fate-chan had accepted to come along!_ I smiled for myself.

"Now that we're all here, we're going where?" Alisa asked to me and Hayate. "There's always your cafe, Nanoha."

"That's a great idea!" Suzuka supported her friend. "We could show it to Fate-chan."

"Cafe?" The tall blond said with questioning eyes.

"We can't today... The cafe is close..." I answered to them, sorry. "We could go to where Hayate-chan works instead!" I took a safety escape to question. _Dad isn't home for some days as well as nii-san and nee-san... and so the cafe is closed..._

"Nice shot Nanoha-chan! I could try to put Fate-chan into an outfit there..." Hayate began to daydream again and we all sweat dropped but Fate had still a questioning expression.

"Nanoha-chan's parents own a cafe and Hayate-chan works at another cafe near the mall." Suzuka calmly explained at our new friend.

_She would be traumatizing by Hayate-chan later..._ I thought._ But I'm happy that she didn't refuse my invitation even if it was her idea to pay back for Sunday..._

"Then we shall all be going now!" Hayate exclaimed with her fist in the air. "Let's go!"

**-Fate's POV – Hayate's cafe's office, 5 o'clock pm...-**

_What did I put myself in?_ I was asking myself with fear of the answer. Hayate was showing me all kind of weird costumes in the office of her boss and Nanoha wasn't here. _Why did I accept her invitation for a tour of the cafe? This is hell!_

"This is my favourite Fate-chan! Try it!" Hayate exclaimed exited, showing me a maid outfit a _little_ too sexy for me. _Does she really want to me to put this? Wait a minute... Where is the...? _My mind went blank.

I regained my senses. "It's pretty, but I don't- I won't put it." I calmly explained to my stubborn friend. "I think now we should return to the others..."

"Oh? You don't want to put outfit like this? Hum..." She threw away her 'favourite' outfit and search in her big closet. _Why does the office have a closet? Better not ask Fate... Better not..._ "I think it was around here... Oh! There it is!" She grinned from ear to ear and she showed me my worst nightmare. _No way...!_

**Nanoha's POV – Hayate's cafe's table, 1730 hours...-**

_Why is it so long Hayate-chan? Weren't you coming soon?_ Panic hunted my thoughts as I glanced over the office more than normal and Alisa too seemed to have notice the long departure of Fate and Hayate. _Maybe Hayate-chan showed something to Fate-chan and she was afraid and she went away? Did she collapse? Is she alright there?_

"You're tormenting yourself Nanoha." My blond friend told me. "They shouldn't be long before coming back. Oh... There they are..."

I turned around too fast and when I saw them, my jaw fell. Fate was in a man black outfit with her hair tied in a pony tail. _She's so handsome and so gorgeous..._ Her face was unreadable while Hayate was as always grinning. Alisa was laughing hard behind me and I knew Suzuka was smiling.

Fate then bowed. "Welcome home, ojou-sama." _O-o-o-o-ojou-sama? __Fate-chan? _She regained her posture and I sensed my jaw fell even more. Alisa was laughing even more, Suzuka was giggling and Hayate needed some supports to not fall.

"My, Nanoha-chan... Your face is priceless! But what is it with your jaw? Will it be ok? Is Fate-chan too beautiful that you can't speak?" Hayate provoked me and it worked.

"W-w-w-what? N-n-no! Err... I m-mean yes! She's b-beautiful! B-but no! Y-yes! Err..." My head was spinning too fast. _I turned around too fast... That must be it..._ I tried to convince myself hopelessly. "Yes she's h-handsome, but w-why did you c-cosplay her?"

Hayate laughed too much and Fate didn't move. "Handsome, ne? Nanoha-chan you're all red!"

"T-t-that's n-not true!" I was dead, so much dead. I turned to see Suzuka if she could help me but Alisa cut her when she opened her mouth.

"That's a nice piece of work Hayate, I like it!" The short blond was still laughing at us. _It's not fair Alisa-chan!_

"My, my... Please, spare us your compliment Alisa-chan!" Hayate tried to imitate Suzuka but it didn't work at all. _Suzuka-chan seems angry... Guess I should say something..._

"Hayate-" I started and got cut by Fate.

"I'm sorry Nanoha that Hayate made me say this... However, Hayate, I can't stay any longer. It's already late and I have... Things to do home." She excused herself. _Things? What could it possibly be on school nights? Does she have a job?_ "And yes, Nanoha. I do have a job." She simply told me. _Why does everyone can read my mind? _"Thank you all for the invitation, the tea was great. I sure will come again some other time. I'll excuse myself then." She said, walking away with Hayate who was still laughing behind her.

"Nanoha, I think you broke the record of the reddest face someone could ever have!" Alisa exclaimed without shyness._ Why does it always happen to me...?_ Alisa then stopped to laugh when she saw her quiet friend. "Suzuka? Is something wrong?"

"No nothing." _Is it I or something is really going on between them...?_ "There's nothing going on Nanoha-chan." Our most mature friend told me with a smile. _W-what? ESP? I don't get it..._

"You should be use to it now Nanoha-chan, be careful when you're spinning around." A voice from behind told me.

I turned my head to fast, again. "What- Oww!" I stirred my neck and throw a glare at Hayate. "Mou! Don't do that Hayate-chan! Why did you cosplay her? I won't say that she wasn't handsome... But! Err... Why...?"

"You mumbled something just now, what was it?" _Don't make me say this out loud..._

I was about to retort but Suzuka had beaten me. "Why indeed Hayate-chan." She coldly said. "She's nothing like you and she didn't deserve it." _Why is Suzuka-chan angry? Did Hayate-chan have done something to her?_ I was in the middle of a fighting battle. _I don't like this...!_

**Hayate's POV – same time...–**

_Suzuka-chan?_ I didn't know what she had in mind while retorting at me like that. "Well, let's say that I wanted a reaction from Nanoha, but you seem really angrier than her... Don't, Fate-chan is Nanoha-chan priority."

"P-priority?" The girl in question said with a reddish face. _So cute! Great job Nanoha-chan!_

"Well, she's hers; moreover, you already have Alisa-chan-"

"Hayate-chan! Don't put those stupid non-proofs you invented in this discussion!" Suzuka started to become red of frustration. _Crap, I guess I went overboard..._ "This isn't your right to do what you and only you want!"

"But Suzuka-chan! She had that priceless look on her-" I was cut again.

"Don't give me that-" Alisa hugged Suzuka from behind and she calmed.

"Suzuka, please." The blond whispered in her friend ears, but I still was able to hear it with my great ears. _What a great scenario... Why don't you two tell us you're together...? It could help Nanoha to move._ My imagination went wild with thoughts of girls... naked... together... I sensed the urge of a nosebleed._ My gosh! Why is this happening to me?_

**Suzuka's POV – same time...–**

"I'm sorry Ali-chan..." I responded, hugging Alisa back. _She always knows how to sooth me... Thank you Ali-chan._

"Eto... Can I say something...?" A now forgotten Nanoha asked. Alisa and I departed from each other. _I forgot we were in public..._ "I know you don't like the teasing, but I sincerely think you look good together." She smiled. "You complete each other and you can surpass anything together. You're lucky to be like this."

I blinked and so my girlfriend did. _You have so much mature Nanoha-chan. I'm proud of you..._ I smiled her back. "My, thank you Nanoha-chan. But you're too much young to understand love don't you." _She's now a proper young woman now._

"Mou! Suzuka-chan, don't treat me like a child!" She went red. "Love you said... What is love?" I back stepped as well for Hayate who was laughing awkwardly. _I guess she still a little child inside... That must be a reason why Fate-chan is attached to her... My... Is Fate-chan in love with her, or was it all our imagination...?_ I returned to reality to see Alisa and Hayate that were trying to make Nanoha enter the Book of Guinness Records. _My, some things don't change with age. I guess we only need to wait and see what'll happen. _

**Fate's POV – her house, 2045 hours...-**

"YOU FOOLISH CHILD! DON'T YOU DARE GIVE ME THAT CRAP!"

My mother was angrier than usual – that I was sure of it – and she didn't let me explain anything. I was now lying on the floor where she fought me to blood. I had bruises all over my body and I couldn't feel my left arm anymore. _I think it's broke... Stupid weak body I have..._

"YOU INCOMPETANT BRAT!"

**THUD!**

My mother kicked me again on the neck. "GAHH!" I yelled in my breath. _It's going to be a long night..._ An image of Nanoha popped up in my mind. _I guess being with them will only cause troubles on both sides..._

"IF ONLY IT WAS HER WHO HAVE STAYED! YOU'RE SO USELESS!"

**THUD!**

Another kick._ Yes, me too I would have preferred that she was still here... _I tried to move but I only got more pain. _I won't be going to school tomorrow and the day after too… I guess I'll need to see a doctor for my arm… _

I heard my mother crying. "It's your entire fault... All of it... He's death to her who left... You're the cause of all my unhappiness... Go to hell..." She silently went away.

_I so would prefer to be in hell... Father... nee-san... I wonder what had happen to Nanoha after I went home... _I sighed in my blood that was flowing from my nose and mouth. _I'm sure she's just fine and that she really don't want to be mixed with me and my troubled life... _I coughed hard. _Nanoha..._

**Nanoha's POV – her house, same time...-**

"I'm home!" I happily yelled in the entrance.

"Did you already eat Nanoha?" I heard my mother ask from the kitchen. "If not, come help me!"

"Hai!" _What a great day I had! I so don't want it to end!_ "But mom, why didn't you eat before? Nobody's home but you..." I went to help her cut the veggies.

"I waited for you, honey. Or you didn't want me to...?" She teased me. "You seem awfully happy tonight. Care to give me a reason?"

"Nyahahah... I guess I had a really good time with Fate-chan today. We went to Hayate-chan's cafe. She even made her wear some cosplay outfit! Fate-chan was wearing man cloths, she was very handsome!" I beamed at my mother, not embarrass at all even if it were embarrassing. _It was really funny!_

"My, isn't that wonderful. You should bring her someday. I bet she would love to see the house of her princess." My mother calmly told me with a smile.

She finished cooking the meat and it took me up until we started to eat before I understand the meaning in what she just said.

"Erg! Mom! I'm not a princess!" I blushed. _Why am I so dense!_

"So you don't disagree with being hers?"

"Mou! No! It's n-nothing like t-that!"

"Like 'what'? I haven't said anything darling." She smiled at me.

I stopped to dig my grave and she respected my silence. _Mom is very kind, but her teasing is way too much. _

We finally finished eating and I went to take a bath. I stopped to look myself in the mirror to see my blushed face.

"I'm still all red!" I shouted. _Maybe I could take the advice of Arisa-chan for the breaking record... Nyahahah, no way! I wonder what Fate-chan is up to now. I'm sure she's doing just fine! Fight-o! Fight-o!_


	5. Chapter 5

A/N

Thank you all for the reviews! I really appreciate it! Hope I still got your interest in this new chapter! Will Fate-chan be in good hand or will she be even more 'punished' by her 'great' mother? I guess I was pretty mean for her in the last chapter… Well, you just need to read to find out!

A little short, *bows 3 times* please forgive me!

Disclaimer: I don't know how much I'll need to repeat myself... *sigh* I really don't own MGLN...

Please be tolerant with my English

Thanks in advance for reading.

And it continues...

A/N

"What is determination?"

_Nanoha Takamachi_

"It's an emotion that brings you to do things that otherwise you don't do."

_Fate Testarossa_

Episode 5: This was meant to be

_September 17__th__, 0845 hours_

**-Fate's POV – her house...-**

"Nnnn...?" I woke up and I couldn't really see anything until my vision cleared after a few minutes. I then realized I was in my bed.

I sat and looked around. Nothing abnormal in sight. _My head hurts... Wait... Why am I in my bed? I don't remember bringing myself here..._ I touched my arm to feel some pain. _I guess it did happen last night... Why is mother...? No I have no right to ask anything. It is my entire fault after all. _I looked at the clock on the wall to see that I was late for school.

I sighed and I got up with difficulty. _I should maybe buy other clothes... Well, for now, better go see a doctor. _I wasn't hungry so I went directly to take a shower. After it, I changed myself into my home clothes: a plain yellow shirt and some black pants. Then only, I put some bandage on my arm before going outside in direction of the hospital.

It was sunny outside without any clouds to cover the beautiful setting that I was watching. _I hate this irony. I always have bad days and outside, everyone has great ones... Am I not lucky?_ I sarcastically told myself. I walk my way to the bus stop to enter one when I arrived there. I went to sit in the back when a thought of Nanoha crossed my mind. _Why am I thinking again about her...? She only brings me into trouble at home... I don't blame her for having a great life on her side... But I don't want to be mix with others..._

**-Flashback – Fate's POV, home, 8 years ago...- **

"_Stay back here Fate; I don't want you to come out before its finishes ok?" _Why do I have to hide from mother...?

"_Onee-chan... I don't want you to disappear like father did..." I was starting to cry but my gentle sister soon caressed me with tenderness. _

"_Don't talk... I won't ever disappear Fate." She pointed her finger on my chest. "I'll always be here, no matter what happen... Have faith... I love you, sister." And I soon wasn't seeing anything after she closed the door of the wardrobe. _

_After a while, I heard screaming from everywhere in the house, but mostly from downstairs. Mother was again arguing herself with Alicia. _Why are they always angry...? _I didn't understand then what was happening between them._

"_Open your eyes mother! It's not our fault if he disappeared then!" My sister was yelling. "Father was a great man, you're just dishonoured him yelling all the time at us!"_

"_SHUT UP! Don't try to sound like your father and just go away!" It was the turn of mother to yell. _Mother, onee-chan... Don't fight..._ I was silently begging. _

_Soon after, there weren't any yelling. I got off of my hiding place and went to see in the living room what happened. I saw there; Alicia on the floor with blood under her. My mind went blank..._

**-Back to the present – Fate's POV, at hospital, 1045 hours...-**

"-iss? Miss?" I heard a voice and I lift up my head to meet eyes of a nurse. "Are you alright?" _I must have had a very scary face just now if she's asking me that..._

I offered her a smile. "I'm alright, sorry to have bothered you."

She smiled back. "No bother. It's my work to look after people." She went away.

"_Fate Testarossa! Please come to the observation room B!" _A voice from the monitor spoke to the waiting room. I sighed. _I guess I need to go... Why did I remember that now...?_ I sighed again._ It will be a very long day..._

**-Meanwhile – Nanoha's POV, in her classroom-**

I wasn't happy at all. The class was too long and I didn't have any news from Fate. _Why isn't Fate-chan at school? Is she skipping class again? But she promised me... Is she not feeling well? Did she get too much traumatize because of us and thus didn't want to come to school at all?_

"No way!" I got up and yelled in the middle of the class.

"Well Takamachi-san, do you have something against the way we lost the Second World War? Or was it something else you wanted to spare with us?" The history teacher glared at me with his cold eyes.

"Eh? No! N-nothing Shiangi-sensei..." I sat down with everyone laughing at me.

"That's what I thought." He continued the class without bothering me again.

I sighed and Hayate poked me, still laughing. She wrote something on a paper and lent it to me. _What is it? "Were you again thinking about Fate-chan? She's alright, I'm telling so! Don't you dare not trusting the beautiful Hayate that I am!" What the hell? _I was smiling and I gave her paper back with no answer from me. _I'm not so sure if she's alright... I have a bad feeling somehow... Fate-chan..._

"There's nothing I can do for now..." I sighed out loud. _Crap, did I just say...? I hope he didn't hear me...! I hope he didn't hear me...! I hope..._

"Well, you could listen for once, Takamachi-san! Go stand in the hallway!" The teacher yelled over me. _Why Am I so unlucky!_

The classroom was laughing harder than before, but Hayate was serious for once. _I wonder why she's not laughing... _

**-Later – Fate's POV, her house, 1400 hours-**

_Do I really need that?_ I was asking myself while observing my new bandage on my arm, sitting on my bed. _At least, it's not broken... I couldn't work otherwise..._

**Clic**

I turned myself to see who was entering my room. My mother was slowly opening the door with no expression on her face. _What is it now...? She didn't had enough yesterday?_ I got up and bowed to her.

"No need Fate." She simply said. _What does she want...? Seeing her after remembering __**that**__ is somehow disturbing..._ "I called your boss." I didn't answer and there was no need too. "You won't work for a week or two if needs."

She approached me and I stepped back. She sighed. "I'm sorry for yesterday Fate... I just came to say goodbye because I'm going in America for two months like every years before. I'll come back around the 14th of November." She put her cold eyes on me. "Take well Fate." With that, she went away.

I heard doors opening and closing for five minutes or so. Then; nothing. The heavier silence was surrounding the house. _It's not like I'll forgive you for only saying sorry...!_ A single tear fall on my cheek.

**-Nanoha's POV – in the courtyard, after school...-**

"Nanoha, are you all right?" Alisa asked when we were walking out of the gates. "You seem more zombie than normally..."

I didn't answer her and continued to walk even when they stopped. _Why wasn't Fate-chan at school? Did something happen to her? Is she alright? Does she need any help?_ I let out a sigh. _Maybe I'm just worried for nothing..._

**-Meanwhile – Fate's POV, walking to school...-**

_I should get my stuff if there was homework, I could let the teacher know of my handicap in the same time... Lucky me it's not my writhing hand... hum... I wonder what happen for Nano-_

**THUD!**

My thoughts were cut when I walked into someone.

"Ita-ta-ta..." I heard a voice I could recognize everywhere.

"N-Nanoha?" _Why do I jump on her all the time?_ "Are you alright?" When she saw me, she got up and went red, like always.

"F-Fate-chan... Why..." She then saw my right arm. _No good... 3... 2... 1..._ "What happened to your arm? Did you fall? Does it hurt?"

I didn't have the time to answer that everyone soon arrived. _Great... Now I'll be interrogated..._

"Fate! Why do you have many bandages on your arm?" Alisa jumped on my head, non-literally of course. "Is that why you weren't at school!"

"My... Fate-chan... Did you take good care of it? Do you need some help to bring your stuff home?" _Why is it only Suzuka that can act reasonable in those situation?_

"Hahaha... Fate-chan, don't scare Nanoha to death... She was daydreaming all day long because of you!" Hayate was laughing hard. _Why do I have such weird friends...? Hum? Friends...?_

"Fate-chan… Why are you hurt? What happen? Why aren't you telling us?" Nanoha had forming tears in the corner of her eyes. _It's as if she was telling me: 'why couldn't you have called us when it happened?' or 'don't you trust us?'… Heck, my imagination is making me sick._

I recalled last night and smile softly – darkly – to myself. "I'm sorry everyone. Today I went to the hospital to take care of it, so it is why I wasn't there. However, before it's too late, I want to get stuff from school since it's week-end now..." I trailed off what my plan was, trying without success to not remember last night.

"Then let us accompany you." Suzuka said for all. "You could tell us what happen to your arm in the time we-"

"No need." _I'm starting to talk like mother..._ "I'll need to do... things after and it'll take too much time."

"Fate-chan... What are always those 'things' you need to do?" A worried Nanoha asked with a serious face. _Don't do that kind of face... I can barely resist..._ "You have a broken arm and you still want to overload your life?" _She's right Fate, I'm overdoing things right now... But I can't let myself in a group like they want me too... It's the same reason why I entered the swimming club... I... I…_

"Fate, you should let us know when you're troubled..." Alisa said for Nanoha who was starting to have tears in her eyes.

I sighed. "You... you won Nanoha..." _Why am I that soft with her only?_ "I need to talk to the teacher, and then I need to make some groceries." _You don't need to tell them why Fate. Just let them come with you and after, they'll need to go home..._

"Let me call my lift ok? It will be easier for you Fate." The 'mother' of the gang told me with a soft smile.

**-Later – Hayate's POV, groceries' shop…-**

We were walking in the alley of frozen food. _I wonder why does Fate need to do the chores of a mother like this._

"Fate-chan! Careful!" Nanoha shouted at the abnormally airhead girl that was Fate then. She was walking into a pile of cans without even knowing it."Mou! You almost got yourself hurt even more!"

Fate looked at her without emotion visible, as always. "Sorry Nanoha." With that, the brownish hair girl was reddening more and more.

I started to laugh hard. "You've got that from Nanoha-chan?" I shared a long and understanding stare with Alisa that was almost bleu from laughing too much. _I wonder what would be her reaction from my teasing?_ "That new clumsiness that you never had before! Where could it had came from I wonder?"

Alisa followed my step: "Where has your handsome aptitude went? Please! Let it come back before Nanoha die!" _Nice one Alisa-chan!_ Suzuka looked like she was about to explode from frustration.

"Alisa-chan." It was a really dangerous warning from Suzuka. _Geez… She's such a party pooper…_

While Suzuka and Alisa had a silent discussion between them I turn myself to see Fate's reaction and didn't receive anything from her. I did had one from Nanoha, but she always been an easy target. _I wish I could get one reaction from Fate-chan sometimes… It would be great._ I smiled and laughed evilly for myself when many evil plans rushed into my head.

**-Meanwhile – Fate's POV, same place…-**

_What did I do to be in this situation…?_ I wonder as I sighed and continued to make my groceries with or without them. _I still don't understand them… Why do they want to be friends with me? I don't understand onee-chan… _I closed my eyes and growled a little. _My headaches came back… Great, just what I needed…_

"Are you alright Fate-chan?" I looked in front of me to see Nanoha's face a few inches away from mine. I hold my breath dearly. _W-w-w-what?_ My posture didn't flinch even when my head was in mode alert. "You don't look well… You look like you haven't sleep for days…"

I smiled at her. _She shouldn't be worried about me…_ "I'm a little tired indeed. But, let us finish together the chores without them, All right?" _The earlier I'm home, the better I'll feel._ I could see her face take colors. _I hope it's not a fever…_ Nanoha nodded after a while and we continued our shopping.

After a time, I sensed a chill passed in my back. _What was that?_ I checked over Nanoha who seemed to be alright. _Maybe my imagination…_

**-Meanwhile – 3****rd**** person POV…-**

A wild grin appeared on Hayate's face when she was slowly following Fate and Nanoha with a camera in her hand and a tissue in the other in case. Alisa was also grinning in Hayate's back and Suzuka was sweatdropping, silently asking pardons from her other friends that were skalked.

"What a great plan you had Hayate, for once I totally agree." A short blond hair girl told her fellow friend in crime.

"Shhhh! Don't talk!" The holder of the camera retorted. "It's going on the internet afterwards…"

**-Meanwhile – Fate's POV…-**

Another chill passed into my back. _Hayate is surely up to something… Again…_ I recalled then the time I was disguised in a man outfit. _I hate this…_

Then, I walked faster to finish it sooner. Nanoha was smiling like a kid beside me and somehow, it made my heart warmer… Somehow… _What? Stop thinking too fondly of nothing, no good for your health Fate._

We soon finished the chores and Hayate reappeared like this with a big grin in her face. "My, aren't you like a couple now? The damsel help her hurted man to do-" She was cut by Alisa.

"Fate, I just got a call from home and I'll- We'll be in need to go." I nodded and she started to walk away with Suzuka. "Oh, and I hope you'll get rid of that broken arm there soon. Take well Fate!"

"Take good care Fate-chan. If something is bad, inform us please." And Suzuka was off in her limousine. _Lucky her… And it's not broken!_

"Bye-bye Alisa-chan, Suzuka-chan! Don't make too many sounds this night!" Hayate screamed right in the middle of the sidewalk.

I ignored her and I returned my gaze on Nanoha who was on her phone. _Is this a drug? Who am I kidding? I'm talking about Nanoha here… She's not like me…_ She then had a very tearful look on her face.

I frowned when she turned to me with teary eyes. "I need to go home too… I'm very sorry Fate-chan!" She panicked and bowed to me several times.

I stopped her with putting my hands on her shoulders and I smiled softly. "No harm done. Please stop those tears ok?" I pushed them away with my left hand as she became crimson. _Is she alright?_ "Err, Nanoha?"

She back stepped and made many moves with her arms. "Err! I! Err… T-thanks for today… err I'll see you next week!" And she ran away, still as red a tomato. _I hope she doesn't come out sick…_

"Way to go girl!" I heard Hayate behind me. '_Way to go?' I don't even want to understand…_ I turned to see her grinned like an idiot with the thumb up.

I smiled at her. "Well, it's time for me to go home too." I saw her starting to open her mouth but I cut her. "No need. I'm a big girl, and this is nothing. Take care Hayate." I left her in front of the shop as I walked away with a smile. _She doesn't need to come there… No one could see where I live… Certainly not Nanoha… _I sighed again. _What should I do onee-chan? Nanoha doesn't… shouldn't… can't need me…_

**-Nanoha's POV – her house, 2130 hours…-**

I sighed, sitting in my bed with a little pillow in my arms. _In the end, she never told us what happen… _I growled softly. _Fate-chan seemed even more alone now than before… What could have happen…? Fate-chan…_

I screamed my frustration in the pillow before letting myself fall on my bed. _I just want to help you Fate-chan…_ I pitched my comfort pillow on the wall at the opposite of me. I wasn't my thing to be violent, but I let it out times to times._ Why are you so inaccessible? Why do you shut yourself like this? Aren't we friends…?_

Then, like if I received a slap in the face, realisation hit me. _What if she didn't ever considered us friends in the beginning and saw us as bothersome people?_

That night, I didn't sleep well. More like I didn't sleep at all. My thoughts were only reserved for a certain blond hair girl that already took my night away. But this time, it was slightly different: I was worried, not embarrassed. _What if she hate us- What if she hate me? What if…_


	6. Chapter 6

A/N

I'm so, so, **SO SORRY** for the late chapter! _ I'm very happy for all of the reviews! It'll be a great chapter, I swear! And since Precia's not there, less bad time for Fate-chan… or maybe not? ^_^ you'll see soon enough!

Warning: LONGEST CHAPTER EVER! **So I slip it in two... please don't kill me!**

Disclaimer: I _swear_ I don't own MGLN! Please _spare_ me!

Please be tolerant with my English

Thanks in advance for reading.

And it continues...

A/N

"What is stupidity?"

_Nanoha Takamachi_

"It's an aspect of someone who doesn't think."

_Fate Testarossa_

Episode 6: Stupid Halloween party **part 1**

_October 10__th__, 1330 hours_

**-Nanoha's POV – Hayate's house…-**

_I'm... lost... What... What should I do...? I want to do something... Why am I lost? What can I possibly do to know why I am so lost...? Fate-chan... She... She's a dear friend to me and I don't want to lose her. She's acting kind of off with us... Why is that? What if Fate-chan isn't acting normal? Why does she have such sad expressions...? I wish that I could help her in any ways... She needs my help. Fate-chan should open her arms to us... to me... What can I do...? I really want to support her when she needs us- when she needs me... _

"—chan… oha-chan… Nanoha-chan!" I heard my friend called me. "You should stay focus! We're talking about important matters here!"

I turned to see her serious face. _Important matters?_ "I'm sorry… What were we talking about Hayate-chan?" I twisted my head on the side.

She faked a glare at me and I almost laughed. "Mou- Nanoha-chan! We've been discussing about what you'll put on for the Halloween party of course! What else?" I rolled my eyes at her. "Don't roll your eyes at me Nanoha-chan! This is national matters! We need you to be the most gorgeous possible but not enough for Fate-chan to collapse!" She grinned at my red face.

"Why is Fate-chan in this conversation?" I gave her a questionable look. "Come to think again… Forget it… Don't want to understand…" I sighed. _Why is Fate-chan always in our discussions if she's not even here…? _

"I bet you're thinking about her." I saw her grinned. "She's not even here, and all you can think of is her, her and her… I wonder what kind of magic she's putting on you."

"I'm not thinking about Fate-chan!" I tried to protect myself and my red face but failed miserably.

"Did I mention Fate-chan here? I never said-...*gasp* I was talking about-...*gasp* her Nanoha-chan!" She talked through her laughs with difficulties. _This is really awkward… Fate-chan no baka…_ "But enough of that… I'm sure that you just need a sexy outfit for the party. Like a nurse or a policewoman? Oh! Oh! Better, a naughty school teacher!"

"N-n-n-naughty? N-n-nurse? P-p-police-" I blurred out without making any sense. "B-b-b-but Hayate-chan! I'll d-die from e-e-e-embarrassment! " I could swear that I was redder than Fate's eyes. _F-f-fate-chan…_ "N-n-no! I-I refuse!"

She laughed hard. _It's not her who embarrassed now! _"I was just joking! No you won't be in a naughty costume, don't worry." She smiled at me as I sighed.

"Anyway, how did you get the permission from the headmaster?" I asked to change the subject and it worked.

"Well… I can say that I have… Err… Contacts…?" She slowly looked away. "Anyhow! It doesn't matter! It'll be on a Friday night! It'll be great! Let me tell you that!"

I sighed. _This is going to be a long month, I'm sure of it…_

_October 11__th__, 8 o'clock _

**-Fate's POV – in the school's grand hall…-**

I putted my outside's shoes in the locker and closed it. "No." I repeated for the tenth time to my stubborn _friend _that was Hayate. "I won't cosplay for you." My patience was almost at its limit. _Why is she bugging me this early in the morning?_

"But-" She started but stopped when she received a glare from Alisa at her side.

"Don't you understand that she don't want to? Stubborn otaku."

_She's right Hayate… Stop arguing…_ "Mad woman." Hayate retorted with a frown on her face with her tongue out.

"Womanizer!" Alisa was seeing red and was approaching Hayate with her fists closed.

"What? You wimp, run to your girlfriend!" _This won't finish good… _Alisa's face saddened all of a sudden. "Oh right, she's not here." Hayate groaned.

I tried to escape them but when I turned around they hold my shoulder and glared at me. "Where do you think you're going?" They asked at the same exact time.

I gave them my best plain face I had as I answered: "To class. I've had enough of you two arguing for nothing."

"But she-" Alisa already started to argue with me but I give her a glare.

"No but. Fights bring nothing but sadness. You should think before you say something." I closed my eyes and sighed at the memory of my sister. _Father…_ I frowned._ Mother…_ My right hand clenched, still in a bandage from that day._ Onee-chan…_ I opened my eyes. "Don't throw away you happiness for stupidities like this. You'll just regret it." I moved out of their hold and walked away. _They're stupid to always fight._

**-Meanwhile – Nanoha's POV, same place…-**

I just happened to enter the school that I saw the scene of my three friends in front of the lockers. I was totally shocked and taken back by Fate's words. _'Fights bring nothing but sadness… Don't throw away your happiness… You'll just regret it…'_

I looked at my stubborn friends that were as shocked as me. I give them a sad look and I turned my gaze at Fate's back and, without thinking, I just ran after her. _Why was she almost crying? Why are her eyes so sad? Did something happen for you to be this upset? Please Fate-chan… Don't walk away from me…_ I took her hand in mine and she looked at me. It almost tore me out when I saw those sad and hurt eyes.

"Nanoha…" She whispered my name and I shivered a little. _I love how she says my name… _I reddened only by the thought. _Bad Nanoha! That's not the time!_

"Fate-chan!" I clearly said and it was her turn to shiver. _Did she just…? No, my imagination._ I shook my head and took a long breath. _You can do it Nanoha!_ "G-g-g-good morning!"

Suddenly, silence became my best friend. I got my head down: I was feeling like I was getting smaller and smaller for a reason that I sure didn't know… _Crap. That's not what I wanted to say… Great, way to go Nanoha… She'll now think you're some kind of weirdo…_ I finally heard Fate's little laugh after a while. I looked at her with surprise all over my face. _Now she's laughing at you Nanoha! You did great! Why won't you play in a circus by the way?_ I sarcastically told myself.

"Nanoha, thank you." _Now she's thanking- What? Did I hear well?_ "Thank you Nanoha, You really know who to make everyone happy around you." Fate said to my little – not so little anymore – person.

I beamed at her with my smile. "You're welcome Fate-chan." She smiled too.

We were on a kind of cloud- no in a kind of wonderland and we didn't even care when the bell rang. _She looks happier now. If it only needs me to say simple things to make that kind of reaction, I wonder how she would react if I told her that- W-w-w-wait there Nanoha! What would you tell her? Don't get too much imagination there and focus on the moment you have with her there._ I realize then that our hand was still holding each other. I reddened from it.

"Nanoha-chan and Fate-chan sitting in a tree~" I heard in my ears Hayate whispered. _What now?_ She approached me more. "Kissing~" She played on each letter of the word until I went from clear red to dark crimson.

"H-H-H-Hayate-chan!" She grinned at me and ran away with her tongue out. "Don't run!" I started to run after her, still holding Fate's hand.

I followed her angry at first but ended to laugh with Fate and Hayate. _This is what everyday should be like!_

**-Later – Fate's POV, in front of her classroom…-**

I sighed. _I ended late… _I put my gaze on the board on the wall in front of me. There were many sheets on it. _New tennis member needed, guitar and bass players needed, Halloween party, no class October…_ I stop my flow of thoughts and focus on one single sheet.

_Halloween party Friday the 29__th__ of October_

_Came accompanied or single for the cost of 200¥ each_

_Need absolutely a costume to enter or to your risk of being exiled by the staff_

_Anybody outside the students cost 500¥_

_For the pleasure of seeing all of you in costume_

_In the cafeteria at 7 o'clock pm_

_Your president and the planner,_

_Yuuno Scrya & Hayate Yagami_

Fate was frozen in the middle of the hallway with her mouth open. _Hayate planned a party? _She remembered the scene of earlier in the morning. _Now I understand why she wanted me to… _I sighed and got back beside the classroom. _It could be a nice experience… Nanoha sure would look good in any costume… _ I imagine Nanoha in a bunny outfit and I frowned. _Did you just think of Nanoha like that? No, no, no, no, no. Don't __**ever**__ think like that._ I pushed away those stupid thoughts and sighed again but it soon hunted my head again. _Maybe I'll try to go if Nanoha comes too…_

**-Meanwhile – Nanoha's POV, in front of her classroom…-**

"This is all your fault Nanoha." An angry Alisa told me. "We're now punished because of the 'little' time you had with Fate." She growled at me.

"I'm sorry Alisa-chan…" I lowered my head. _But it was great to laugh with her like this…_

"Don't listen to her Nanoha-chan. By the way, where's Suzuka-chan?" A certain otaku asked without reserve still having a huge grin on her face. "Shouldn't you be with her, Alisa-chan?"

Our blond friend didn't answer her usual growl and that worried us. Hayate and I exchanged a look and decide to not push for now. _It's a miracle that Hayate-chan is willing to shut herself… _Alisa had a sad expression and Hayate too. _Why? Is it just me or I'm missing something here?_

**-Meanwhile – Alisa's POV, same place…-**

_I don't want to worry them… They don't know I went in an argument with Suzuka…_ I sighed and they shared another look together. _It's better for them to be in the unknown… _

"Oh! Nanoha-chan, you remember when we talked about the Halloween party?" Hayate suddenly asked and she received a nod. "I have made contact with Chrono-kun, remember him?"

"Yes, that's awesome Hayate-chan!" Nanoha was almost jumping of joy. _She's inhuman sometime. To pass from sadness to joy in short time, only she can do it. Maybe I should take advice from her…_ "And he will come?"

"Yes, he will be the advisor-like for the night. He will watch over us." Hayate was as excited as Nanoha.

_They are so in their world now…_ I sighed and stopped listening to them. _Maybe it's better that way._ I smiled and promised myself to talk to Suzuka when I'll have time.

**-After school – Fate's POV, in front of the lockers…-**

"… and Chrono-kun will be disguised as a wolf!" Fate could hear Hayate walking near. _If I walk fast I could avoid… _"Oh! Fate-chan!" _Too late…_

I turned to see my 'friends' and greeted them all. "Oh. Good afternoon Hayate, Alisa, Nanoha." _Seems like it'll be a long walk to home…_

"Fate-chan! Why don't you come to the party with us?" Hayate already started to bug me. _Ugh… She won't stop…_

"Don't listen to her, Fate-chan. We're planning to go see Suzuka-chan. She's sick. You're coming?" Nanoha asked with her puppy eyes.

_Ugh… When she does that, I can't refuse… But I need to refuse because I can't stay out… Mother isn't here but she wouldn't be please at all… But Nanoha wants me to come… But I can't let me follow my feelings…_ I sighed after my inner dispute between my reason and my heart. At the end, my reason won. "I can't Nanoha. I need to be home after school."

I could see that Nanoha was sad about it. "It's ok Fate-chan. I understand that you're parents want you home." _My parents…? Oh right… She doesn't know._

I could see at the corner of my eyes that Hayate flinched. "What is it Hayate?" _Does she know…?_

"I seriously want you to come to the party." Hayate wouldn't let go. "I'm sure Nanoha-chan wants you to come too." She smiled deliriously. _That's scary a little Hayate… At least she doesn't know…_

"Nanoha wants you to come, Fate, don't disappoint her." Alisa accompanied her. "You would be surprise to like it." She grinned at me while Nanoha blushed.

A flash of Nanoha in a rabbit costume passed in my mind. "Alright, I'll go." _Why…? _Hayate was about to say something and I cut her hastily. "But, I'm not letting any of you to choice my costume."

She pouted. "Not fair..." _It is._

"Anyhow, Alisa. Give to Suzuka my best regards for a better health. On that, good day to all of you." Alisa nodded.

I turned around and took my leave to hear Nanoha behind me. "Take care Fate-chan!"

I sighed and increased my pace. _I shouldn't stay with them… Why did I accept? I shouldn't have… I guess I'm weak. Mother wouldn't be please if she knew about the party. _I slowed and stopped entirely when a thought popped out in my head. _In what on earth will I disguised myself?_

**-Little later – Nanoha's POV, Suzuka's place…-**

"I'm *cough* alright…" Suzuka tried desperately to convince us. "Ali-chan… I don't need to be baby-sitting…" Suzuka put her hands over her mouth when she realized her mistake.

A long silence.

I frowned and smiled. _Ali-chan? That's so cute!_ Hayate suddenly started to laugh. She approached the bed and even sat on it.

"I knew there was something more! You're so a couple! Congratulations!"

I saw them reddened, looking away from each other. _So they're really a couple… _"Mou! Why couldn't you say anything to us?"

Alisa coughed in her hand. "Well… It's not easy to talk…" She glanced over her not-so-new girlfriend. "I didn't want Suzuka to be hurt…" She blushed at the embarrassing words.

I smiled at them and glared at the same time at Hayate, forbidding her to tease. "I'm glad to see you two together. You really are found of each other. Nobody can remove that."

Suzuka coughed a little and smiled at me. "Thank you Nanoha. But you're still young to understand love." She teased me and I didn't argue. _It was true._ "Can you please not tell Fate-chan?" I nodded and she sighed in relief.

Then, Hayate screamed out load, messing her hairs with her hands. "Why can't I tease you two now?" Alisa went to punch her on the head but I was faster.

**THUD**

"Ouch!" Hayate squealed. "Why Nanoha-chan? Why?"

"Because! Don't be jealous over them! They are good together and you won't mess things! You'll find someone too!" I went over with my little speech that I didn't even know I could do. _Gezz… Hayate-chan, you need to slow down sometime…_

The brunette stopped complaining and Suzuka continued for me. "Nanoha-chan's right. You'll find a great person too. Just wait… You'll see in less time than you think."

Alisa approached Hayate and shook her shoulders. "Hey! We're talking to you!" We then notice she was smiling brightly. "Wha-"

Hayate stood and put her fist in the air. "I'll search all earth to find my other half! Even if she's in America!" _That's the Hayate that I know…_

We all smiled at her and Suzuka finally started to feel better in more than one sense. _Things always seem to become better when we talk about them… Maybe I should talk to Fate-chan… Yes! I should when we will have the time! _I smiled to the funny face that Hayate was doing. _Everything will be alright._

**-Fate's POV – Fate's house, 2030 hours…-**

I placed the remote on the table in the living room. _Nothing's good on television at this time. _I stood and went to my bedroom. _I wonder why Nanoha is desperately trying to become my friend… She has many others… _

**RING! RING!**

_Who's calling at this time?_ I walk to the phone and answered the best I could with my tired voice. "Testarossa's residence."

"_Good evening. Is Fate at home? Can I talk to her?" _I heard a male voice that I recognized easily.

"It is I, Yuuno."

"_Oh! How are you? You weren't there at the practices last week and I overheard that you had a broken arm… The practices were evaluations of capacities for the tournament" _He started to talk about many things that I soon couldn't follow all.

"I'm fine thanks and you've heard well. My arm is curing nicely but I don't want to perform in the tournament." My patience was not at its best form. _If I entered the swimming club and not the running one, there was a reason. And it was to not attire the attention from everyone… I don't need it._

"_It's good to know you're feeling better, but I already put your name for the competition and…"_

"You what?" I couldn't believe my ears… Yuuno had just signed my death… "Why did you do that?"

"_B-because you a-are the s-star of the t-team…"_ He was intimidated by me.

I sighed in defeat. "Alright. But don't except me to break records…"

"_I'm happy with that and it's alright! Then, have a pleasant night Fate."_ He wished me.

"You too…"

He hung up. I stared at the phone. The time past slowly. The clock was working too loud for the silent house. _Why did it all turn out like this? _A flash of Nanoha._ It all started with her entering my life… What should I do…? _I walked slowly to my bed and lay there, lost in my thoughts. _What would Alicia-onee-chan think? She would laugh at me… I'm sure…_

**-Flashback – Fate's POV, home, 8 years ago...- **

_The body of Alicia was on the floor with blood under it. I saw mother with a large knife that was soaked in blood. I started to shake my head, denying what I was seeing. Mother soon started to cry and she fell on the floor. _

"_Onee-chan...?" I asked, uncertain if she would answer me._

_Mother turned to see me and screamed. "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" _

_I began to shake and I cried to my sister to help me; to my father to save us. Mother was standing now and she walked to me to be stop by the hand of Alicia._

"_You're... you're not going... to hurt Fate..." Alicia was breathing loudly and heavily. "I won't... forgive you...!" _Onee-chan... Why... No...

_She desperately tried to stood but mother kicked her in the ribs. We could all hear the ribs breaking. Mother went on her with fury and punched her all over her hurt body. _

_I cried, yelled and begged at her to stop. "No! Stop! Mother! Please!" _Why are you not stopping mother?

_Alicia didn't attack back and I could see that she was feeling weaker by the time... I tried to stop mother with my little fists but just got pushed away by the strong force of mother's arms. I tried to call for help but mother had thrown the knife in the middle of my back. It penetrated a lot in my skin and I gasped for air that I couldn't gain. I soon fell on the floor. My view started to blur when I heard the front door opened. _

"_Where is she?" A girlish voice came to my ears._

"_In the living room." A more adult-like girl answered. _

_My vision was failing me when I saw a pink haired girl with a short blond one. _Who... are... they...?_ My voice failed me and the time they ran over us, I blanked out..._

**-Back to the present – Fate's POV, at home, 2140 hours...-**

I woke up in sweat. "Huff... huff..." I was breathing like if I would have run a marathon. "Why... Why remembering this now?" I didn't understand myself. "Alicia... isn't here anymore... Mother is colder and darker... " I closed my eyes and passed my hand on my face to take the sweat away.

Then, a thought crossed my mind. "Now I know in what I will disguise for the party..." I finally got up with a strange sensation of burning in my back. "Hayate will be impressed..."

A/N

Oh! So sadly I've end it there... ^_^ Hate me if you want for being so mean with Fate-chan! But I just needed to slip it there because it took me too long to make this chapter and I like how it 'ends' for the first part. The other half will be longer but you'll be impressed! Until then... ^_^ Take care!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N

Thanks for the reviews! I know I'm not fast and I thank you to follow the story! ^_^

It'll be a great chapter, I swear! And since Precia's not there, less bad time for Fate-chan… or maybe not? ^_^ you'll see soon enough!

Warning: LONGEST CHAPTER EVER!

So I had slipped it in two... And! Finally! After a _so _long wait!

The other half is here! ^_^

A/N

* * *

><p>Episode 6: Stupid Halloween party <strong>part 2<strong>

_October 28th, 1540 hours_

**-Nanoha's POV – in front of the student council office…-**

"... I can't let you do this Hayate-san! ..." I could hear the voice of the president.

"... I swear it would be awesome..." Hayate trailed off without success.

"... No is no! Now, I have works..." The president concluded the discussion.

I soon saw an angry Hayate walking out of the room with a storm that followed her. I literally was running at her side to suit her pace. _You look really unhappy... no. What happen? No... What happened...? No... What can I possibly tell her?_ My thoughts were cut when Hayate wasn't _walking_ anymore.

"Hayate-chan, you..." I started but the rest just slowly shut down.

"He didn't want me to do his costume! You understand how frustrated I am?" She started to have tears in the corner of her eyes. _I swear... If I could kill her, I would right now._ "He called me a weirdo!"

"He's in the truth though..." I sighed. "So, everything's all right with the preparation Hayate-chan?" I tried to change the subject.

"Yes, Nanoha." A male's voice was heard from behind me.

I turned around to see Chrono in his police outfit. "Chrono-kun! Long time no see! How have you been?" _He looks good in the uniform. But still, I couldn't take him seriously if I'm ever in a situation..._ I laughed at the thought.

"I'm great! It's good to see you too. Hayate called my help for the party and I couldn't refuse when it's nicely asked." He smiled at my brunette friend that was still down from the president's rejection.

"Yeah..." She walked away from us.

"What's up with her?" Chrono asked unsure of if he said anything wrong.

"Nothing, she's not feeling well for now. Tomorrow she'll be fine." I smiled to him. "Oh! And I heard you'll be a wolf."

"Indeed. Amy's going to be the little red hooded girl. We'll make a great match!" Chrono was happy and I was too by seeing him.

"Oh. Nanoha, there you are." We heard another voice that I would know anytime behind me. "Alisa and Suzuka are searching for you..."

"Fate-chan! Good timing! I'll present you to mister policeman here!" I clung to her arm and put her in front of Chrono. "Chrono-kun, this is..."

"Fate Testarossa." He said, not having a smile anymore.

"Chrono Harlaown." Fate let go of my arm and her eyes seemed to darken. "It's... great to see you... again..." _Why is there tension between them?_

"Still doing those _chores_ for your mother?" He asked while crossing his arms.

"Do not talk about unnecessary things in front of my friend Harlaown-san." Fate pushed the question away. _H-her f-friend? I'm happy... But... why does it seem to be just between them...? Moreover, how did they meet? He's new from this summer..._

Chrono laughed and the tension left as he patted the head of Fate. "You're still the same. Well, I forgive you for now. I need to go see Ferret-kun." He smiled at us. "I hope to see you two tomorrow night! Until then, take care, Nanoha, Fate."

Fate watched him walk to the office and then put her piercing eyes in mine. "Y-yes?"

"Nothing. Suzuka wanted to talk to you about something. She's in the library." Fate softened her eyes at me and she smiled at me. "Do you want me to come...?" I frown. "Nanoha, is something wrong?"

I avoided her eyes for a second before groaning. "You're always like this!" I exclaimed at her. _Sorry to sound mad, but I am..._

She blinked and was taken aback. "Like what?"

"Like that! You're always sounding like you can do anything, and know everything! You never explain anything and left us, your friends, in the unknown!" I tried to make her understand that we really cared for her.

She looked away from me and sighed. "That's not true." She tried to walk away from me. _Oh no, you won't get away that easily Fate!_

"Fate!" I yelled her name, earning some unwanted eyes on us. "Say it looking in my eyes! You're always running away from us! Like that time with the broken arm!"

Fate frowned and crossed her arms. "It wasn't broken. And now, it's healed." She then tried to pass beside me but I was faster for a first.

"Fate! This is about you! I swear that if you don't tell us what's the problem, it will get worst for you!" I menaced her without thinking twice.

She flinched and closed her hands into fists. "You are not my mother, Nanoha. If I don't want to speak about something, it is not your right to talk to me like this. I have secrets, you have secrets, and Hayate too. Everybody does! Don't put all the blame on me for not telling them." She walked past me and I didn't even try to budge to stop her.

I stayed there, alone, with only my conscience to speak to.

I felt overtaken by my own stupid feelings. _Why... did it... happen? What... happen? Why the hell did I just say that? What was I thinking? She's right, I'm wrong... I'm so stupid... I feel like an idiot... Why did I have to say all those mean things...? She won't ever forgive me..._

Then, all the stares from the other students fell on me and were telling me: 'She's done it.' 'It was a matter of time.' 'What a scene...'

I felt like running. Running far, far away from there. I was feeling so small, so stupid. My feet would bring me where? I didn't care. I was devastated to have shouted at my dear friend. I hurt her; I was mean to her...

I felt rain on me, but it wasn't bad. If it would wash away my pain, I would have stayed there all night. _I hurt Fate-chan..._ I cried under the rain. My tears were hidden. My pain wasn't healing like I wanted.

Many minutes must have passed before I fell on my knees. _It hurts! It hurts!_ I wanted to scream. I wanted to shout. I wanted to yell. My cries were silent. My tears were invisible.

I felt alone.

"Nanoha..." _It can't be..._

I stopped crying instantly and slowly turned to see Fate. After seeing her sad eyes, I jumped in her arms to give her comfort, but instead received more. _Why is it always me who need comfort?_

"Shush... It'll be alright Nanoha... I'm not mad. You were right. Shush..." I heard between soundly sobs. "Stop crying Nanoha. Shush..." She played with my hair with tender, calming my pathetic self of mine. "Everything's going to be alright..."

I started to calm myself and rested in her safe arms for longer than normal people, but I didn't care. When I seemed to be alright, she let go.

"You're ok now?" I nodded. "Good. You're such a cry-baby Nanoha." Fate laughed a little.

"Mou... don't make fun of me..." I pouted with less energy than normal. "Fate-chan..." I was stopped by a finger of Fate.

"Don't. Don't be sorry. It's just between you and me. I'm not talking enough and you are too blunt." She teased me and I pouted slightly. "You are a dear friend to me. And I don't think I had one before. You've showed me many things about life that I had forgotten. Like laughing for nothing. You're good at it." She continued to tease me, but I was too happy to reply. "Thank you Nanoha for being my friend but I'm still not use to talk much. This is the longest time I've talk about something..."

I shook my head. "It's alright Fate-chan. And I won't talk to anyone about it. It'll be our secret." I sweetly smiled at her and then remember we were under the rain. "Come. We'll need to change ourselves. We're soaked!" I exclaimed and brought her inside the school to meet all of our fellow friends.

"Nanoha! Fate! I told you to bring her to the library!" Alisa started to scold us.

"My, my... Alisa-chan. Let her be. You need some new clothes." Suzuka stated as she brought Alisa with her to take some.

"Why are you to all wet? Is there something I need to know?" Hayate grinned at us.

I looked at Fate with a smile and she responded the same. "Nothing." We both said at the same time. _I don't know everything of Fate-chan. She still is mysterious and she will always be. _I smiled to myself. _For now, I will only support her with my strength and wait for her to talk._

I was happy in my world until a thought crossed my mind. "I forgot! I still don't have a costume for tomorrow!" I looked at the time while Hayate and Fate looked at me. "Oh no! All the stores are closed! I planned to go there today..." I murmured the last part.

"I'm sorry Nanoha, it's my fault." Fate spoke and I shook my head.

"Don't be, I planned too late anyway."

"There's still one store that is open all day long, all week long, all year long." Hayate told me with a smile as I started to have hope. "My house."

_That wasn't what I wanted to hear..._

"What did we miss?" Alisa returned with spared clothes.

We thanked her. "Well I don't have any costume and Hayate will give me one."

"Well, tomorrow is another day. We'll take our leave. Good night Nanoha-chan, Fate-chan, Hayate-chan." Suzuka greeted us.

"Bye Suzuka-chan, Alisa-chan." We greeted back with a smile.

"So Nanoha-chan, you'll come to my house?" Hayate invited me. _I hope it'll be alright..._

"Yes." _Tomorrow is another day... right?_

_October 29th, 1750 hours_

**-Fate's POV – her house…-**

I sighed for the umpteenth time. _Why again did I accept to go? _I looked at my disguise lying on my bed. _It should be alright for tonight. Right now it's... _I checked the clock. _Almost 6 o'clock. It starts in one hour and they want to meet in front of the school a little earlier... I won't make it. I'm sure since I didn't eat. Not that I'm hungry... _

I stretched my arms and sighed again. I decided to eat some toasts and after a quarter of an hour, I finally decided to put my costume on. I had planned it from the last nightmare I had and it looked perfect on me. _Too much perfect. Hayate shall be pleased..._ I last look in my mirror to see its perfection.

I was disguised as a reaper. I had white long socks with black high heels boots. On my body was a long black cloak that followed very well my curves. A black rope was at my waist and was falling around my tights. My arms had many black chains mixed all together up to my shoulder, everything over the cloak. The fronts of the garment were mixed together giving the impression of a textured non-existent. In my neck reposed small silver chains mixed together. I wore some black skulls earrings. I had some make-up to make my skin looked paler with blood color for the lips. Black powder was around my eyes, making them looked like it was out of my head. And, at last, the big hood was making my face dark and zombie-like.

_I really like it._ I checked the clock a second time. _7 o'clock... I knew I would be late._ I smiled darkly to myself. _Better go now._ I braced myself to the front door and stepped outside. _It will be a long night._

**-Later – Fate's POV, at the party…-**

_Well... Seems like there's a lot of students here..._ Some were disguised as princesses, others as monsters or evils from movies. _Classics... Like myself._ I started to walk through the bunch of teenagers and frayed myself a path to the other side. Passing beside the punch, I decide to take some. _It's good! I'm sure I've tasted it before... _After I took five cups, I went to stay near the wall, drinking silently my sixth cup of juice. _Why did I co-_

"Is that you Fate-chan?" I heard the voice of Suzuka and turned to greet a princess. "I knew it!" She was beautiful in her pink dress.

"Oh, then you will be pleased to see the costume of Nanoha." I heard Alisa from behind Suzuka. "You look great in that Fate." She was in shinny gray armour of a templar of past times.

"Good to see you two. Suzuka, you look astonish tonight. You're knight should be proud to have you as his princess." I saw Suzuka reddened a little and Alisa was grinning, approving absolutely what I just told. "Alisa, it suits you really well. Wear it more often." I joked with a mysterious smile on my face.

"I return the complement, Fate. If it wasn't for Suzuka, I would have never known it was you. Be careful of Hayate then. She has her camera." She warned me too late, we heard multiplies of 'clicks'.

"Fate-chan! You're here at last!" Hayate, that ran over me almost literally, was disguised as a human cat. "Why are you late? You look amazing in that! Can I take pictures? Oh, I already have! Wait to see Nanoha! You'll be surprise! The party is great! Don't move!" She blurred everything before storming out in the sea of students in costume.

"What..." I wasn't sure if Hayate wasn't on speed or just was too much happy. _Better not ask Fate... Better not think of it now... Profit the party and don't ask-_ I trailed off before cut myself when I saw Nanoha. I felt my cheeks burns. My head was heavy.

She was walking beside Hayate, talking to her. But I couldn't see anything else. Nanoha was the center of the world right now. She was all in pink. Pink high heels with pink socks. A pink _tight _mini dress that was almost too small for her with a v-neck pretty much pronounced, pretty much tempting. Her make-up was all pink with a slice of black for the eyes. She had a small pink nurse cap with pink letters on: _Sexy nurse_. She walked with a hand on her hips and one in the air with a pink syringe between her fingers.

I wasn't moving. I was paralysed by this beauty. _B-beauty? N-Nanoha? I need to regain control..._ And so I did. I smiled at her and she was blushing madly.

"You look good Nanoha. I guess Hayate didn't go easy on you." I told her. _Only good? My, Fate, you could have done better..._ "Sexy nurse? My, I would take any patient you have in the abyss to preserve this beauty for myself tonight." _Now you flirt? Great job Fate..._ I pushed my reason in a corner of my head for that night.

Nanoha reddened and Hayate was holding her camera, trying not to laugh. Alisa and Suzuka were in their world, looking in each other's eyes.

"T-t-thank y-you F-Fate-chan..." She whispered my name and I flinched. _I like how my name sounds when she says it..._

"My, Fate-chan, you're not so privileged tonight. You have many concurrent to beat." Hayate took us from our cloud and I saw many boys and girls looking at us with envy.

I smiled and laughed a little as I took Nanoha in my arms. "Let them be." I approached her reddened ear. "Tonight, you're mine." I whispered only for her to hear.

She pushed me away with a frown, she wasn't blushing anymore. "Fate, are you drunk?" She asked me with a serious tone.

I looked at her as if she was an alien. "Why? No... I just drank some juice..." Then I realised something. _Wait a minute... Wait a minute... If I've tossed my reason and started to flirt without thinking... _"HAYATE!" I turned to see her, but turned too fast and started to feel dizzy. "What... did you... put in the... drinks...?"

Nanoha took my arm and supported me with all her might. "I drink some before... Why is only Fate-chan drunk?" We glared at Hayate that was still filming.

"Well... I saw Fate-chan at the entrance and I went to put a litter of Jack Daniels... Maybe all of it...?" She couldn't finish that Alisa was at her neck. "Alisa-chan..."

"You moron! A litter? She's could be on the floor at this time! No! She should be knocked out!" Alisa turned to see me standing on my two feet. "Why are you still up?"

_Crap... They don't know about that either..._ "Well... I think I may have a great endurance... Maybe?" They accepted my answer and didn't ask more. _I'm lucky they don't know how many I took..._

"Ali-chan, please, be easy on her..." Suzuka begged. _Ali-chan? Well, they're good friends..._

"No way! Hayate, you're going-" Alisa was interrupted when the music shut down and when the darkness surrounded us suddenly. "What-"

A light came on a scene that was not permanent in the cafeteria to illuminate Chrono and some other girl. _Not him again..._

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Halloween party of Lyrical!" Every student cheered Chrono. _Ugh..._ "Tonight, we will acclaim two participants on the scene for the best costume! Please vote! There's a box on the table beside the punch! Feel free to have fun!" Again, they all cheered his speech. _Pathetic..._

Alisa returned her gaze over Hayate and all of us too. "Well, since it's a party and that you organize it all, I'll let you be. For now..." She let go of Hayate.

"My! What a great present you give me here! Be sure that your princess isn't jealous!" Hayate teased back as she ran away.

Alisa sighed and returned to Suzuka to dance at some other place. It was now only me and Nanoha. _Great... I'm on flirt mode and she's the last one with me...?_

"Well, sexy nurse. What do we do now?" She blushed and glared at me. "What?"

"Don't talk when you're drunk, you're saying stupid things." She scolded me.

"Stupid things? Not really. I'm just not listening to my reason. I'm saying what I really think, that's all." She blushed again. "My... you're so cute when you blush." I flirted again and she let go of me to glare at me even more. "And you're sexy when you're angry..." I teased her with a devilish smile plastered on my face.

"Stop Fate." She warned me. "You're talking nonsense."

"I love how you say my name, _Nanoha_." I answered back.

She blushed and frowned. "Stop it. You won't remember anything tomorrow, or you'll say something you'll regret." She walked away from me. _She's so cute... Why I am so stupid...?_

**-Meanwhile – Nanoha's POV, same room...-**

_Why is Fate-chan flirting with me...? She said she was more blunt and everything, but I still can't trust her words... This is giving me headaches..._ I walked to where Hayate was.

"Hey nurse-chan! How is it going with reaper-san?" She teased me and I sighed.

"She flirts all the time; I'm tired of a drunken Fate-chan... I so thank you Hayate for that..." I groaned at her, showing my teeth.

"Scary~" She was laughing. "Maybe I give too much Jack Daniels... Well, doesn't matter! It was worth it!" She smiled and showed me her camera. "Check this." She showed me a picture of Fate embracing me. "Cute isn't?" She grinned at my flushed face.

"W-well, yes it is..." I answered and she nodded back. "It is a good night, I think..."

**-Meanwhile – Fate's POV, same room...-**

I was feeling very lonely after that Nanoha went away from me. _I know I shouldn't have come... Not only Hayate did the worst thing ever, but I can't control what I say... It wasn't a good idea from the start. Should have stayed home._

After drinking three other cups – not helping me but it was good – I went to search for Hayate. I finally found her dancing with the student president.

"Hayate, can I talk to you?" I smiled darkly to my _friend_.

When she heard my voice, Hayate yelped and tried to hide behind Yuuno, still filming the scene. _Guess she really love memories... _I smiled even more. _I'll make sure she will remember them forever..._

"Don't eat me Fate-chan!" She shouted at me over the loud music, grinning.

"Ugh... Fate... Hayate..." Yuuno tried to speak but I cut him rudely.

"Why would I eat you...? Whatever, stop hiding behind Yuuno, he's not a tool." I sighed inwardly. _Sorry, not letting you know of any feelings from me. Ugh... Why did I come again?_

Hayate came out from her hiding spot and dare to tease me. "I know: you would prefer eating Nanoha than me."

Yuuno take this chance to silently walk away, a good gesture.

I blinked at the surprised comeback of Hayate and I even blushed a little at it, but thanks to the make-up, it wasn't known by others. _Don't say it Fate, don't say it Fate! Don't dare say- _"In- No! Ugh... That wasn't why I came here." _That was close, just need now to hope that Hayate didn't heard- _

"You've almost said 'indeed'! I knew it!" Hayate was now literally jumping of joy.

"Hayate! Even if you were filming, I haven't said that!" _Way to go Fate!_

Hayate grinned and when she grinned, it was never good. "Oh yes? It was started with 'in-' and it was a yes-or-no question. 'Indeed' is the only possibility of answer you could have in mind, Fate-chan!" She smiled victoriously.

_See? You're busted now..._ I frowned. "It could have been 'incompetent brat' or 'in your dreams'... It was a stupid question, I was about to answer with a stupid answer, but I was being kind to you." I smiled. _I have won._

Hayate pouted at me and started to smile too soon after. _I don't like this smile..._ "My... Then are sure you're drunk Fate-chan? How many cups did you drink?"

I frowned at her question. _Stupid Hayate... _"I don't look enough drunk to you? And I've drunk... Hum... About nine?" Hayate's smile fell. _Oh crap, did I just sell myself to the devil...? Stupid Fate! Why did you answer? _"Ugh, what is it Hayate?" She pointed behind me while shaking and when I turn around, well: I saw Hell on Earth. "Err... Hum... Hi Nanoha...?"

She was angry- no. She was beyond angriness... There was fear, anger and other emotions unknown to me in her eyes. _Doesn't look good... _

"Don't 'Hi Nanoha' me, Fate." She walked to me and only stopped at only a few inches from my face, but this time, no one could have misunderstood the situation, not even Hayate. "You've drunk nine cups of whiskey. You're still standing and can walk straight. Care to explain me some things? And fast." It wasn't a normal question; it was more an order than anything.

I swallowed hard and as she opened her mouth for more shouting, the lights and music stopped. On the scene, one light showed Chrono and an envelope in his hands. _Ugh... Not him again..._

_Why is he always where he doesn't need to be...? Like that time when I did some chores for mother at the mall and he __**tried**_ _to arrest me... What the hell is he doing to me? Always popping out in my life to make me moody._ I glared at him without reserve. _Does he love to make me angry?_ I sighed. _Well... he's a friend of Nanoha and Hayate..._ My mind stopped to talk in his back when the room felt silent.

"Ladies and gentlemen! How was the night?" Chrono asked with his usual smile plastered on his face as all the students – but me – cheered him and yelled that they were happy. _Bunch of fools..._ "Well, I'm glad it's fun for you! I'm going now to announce you who are the lucky couple of tonight!" He opened slowly the envelope. _Gezz… Be original at least!_ "Tonight us the night of... Alisa Bannings and Suzuka Tsukimura!"

_Alisa and Suzuka? Not much impress here... They were looking really good together. Stop there, Fate. Their attention is elsewhere... Time to run!_ My mind kept telling me until I gather the force to escape them.

While everyone cheered at the winner, I ran away from the party without anyone knowing it. I didn't look back at the building as I heard the music continued to play. _It is better getting home now. Not my place when I'm a little drunk._ I gathered myself slowly to the bus stop; I just didn't want to walk home.

The bus finally arrived and then time he came, I didn't have any make-up left on me and my chains were in a plastic bag I had brought with me. The way home was peaceful, not like my mind. _Why do I keep having those unwanted and impossible situations all the time?_ The bus stopped and I got down walking lightly and slowly to home. _I wonder what they'll ask next time we see each others..._

I crossed the grass to the door and before I could even get my keys that were in my pocket, the door opened by itself. I looked ahead to see...

"Mother...?" _That was unexpected..._ I closed the door behind me and I faced her.

Her piercing eyes were penetrating my soul as she smoothly said: "I've asked your boss to call me if anything happened. He called me saying you've changed your shift of tonight to tomorrow." My mother was too much calm. "You've disappointed me, Fate. I thought you could have stayed home without problem but no. No... You can't be trusted. You're just like you're stupid _father_. I thought you would be a good girl but no." She never raised her voice in what she just said. "Do you know what we do to bad girl like you, Fate?" She finally asked me but I couldn't find the strength to answer. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT WE DO TO BAD GIRLS?"

I breathed out for the first time after closing the door. "P-pun- punishment, mother..." I murmured.

"Good girl." Precia took me by my hair and I let out a little yelp. "And do you know what happen when they scream?"

"M-more p-punishment, mother..." I weakly said.

"Exactly, Fate." She pulled me forcefully in the air to throw me a few feet away, at the end of the hallway as I coughed hard and stirred on the floor. "And do you know what I will do to make you understand that you need to follow **all the rules**?"

I breathed loudly. "I... I don't know, mother..."

"You don't know...?" Precia asked slowly with exaggeration on each word all that in a calm voice until she screamed: "YOU DON'T KNOW? Well! I'm going to show you!"

I whined when mother grabbed again my hair to bring me to the living room. "I-I'm sorry..." I whispered enough loud for her to understand.

"Oh? You're sorry?" She laughed at me in my ears as my eyes were opened to their maximum, me being in fear. "My... It's sad because even if you're sorry, you've been a very bad girl, Fate." She sighed and dropped me on the cold floor with a loud 'thud'. "I'm very unhappy, Fate. And do you know why?"

I tried to get on my knees with difficulties, still coughing hard. "Because Alicia isn't here at my place."

Precia's eyes widened in horror and she started to kick me in the stomach without thinking back. "WRONG!" She shouted, ripping my ears away. "She wouldn't ever be at your place, you miserable scum!" Precia stopped when she finally calmed herself. "Fate." She kneeled in front of me. "Do you know what the difference between you and her is?" Mother calmly asked with a light and peaceful smile on her face.

I shivered. "N-no..."

Precia smiled more. "Then, let me tell you. You... No, her. Alicia is the best thing that happened to me since... long before. She's my world, my sun, my source of life, my everything. And you... You are the worst thing, ever. Just like your father. You're just a copy, a clone, an appearance of Alicia. You're pretending to be her, but no. No, you're not. You're useless, unwanted, unimportant." She approached my ear again. "And I hate you so much. I wish that you were never born, that you never existed in the first place. That and she would be her... instead of you." Precia stood up but I didn't care anymore.

I couldn't remember what she did to me afterwards. I felt punches, cuts, kicks, burns... But what I could feel the more was that cold floor and that one and single tear that escaped and fell on my cheek while my mind no longer worked...

* * *

><p>AN

And I end it here!

Would you hate me if would do that?

But! It's not finished here!

I've put another scene just for you. ^_^

A/N

* * *

><p>I opened my eyes to see my room lit by the sun that entered by the open window. I looked through to see the clear sky. The sun high was swimming in the few clouds of the sky. I heard the birds chirping and cars passing on the street. Also, I could not move my body without feeling pain in my bones. I knew I had no broken bones, but I could not help thinking that I was destroyed from within. I could not remember the night before, but I knew that mother was back: my whole body was telling me.<p>

Despite all the pain I felt, I sat in my bed with more harm than good. I observed around to see only an empty room. I knew mother would not be there, waiting for me, she would never do for me. Some flashbacks of the last were remembered and I could not help laughing awkwardly.

I brought attention to noise for hearing nothing from the rest of the house. If I had been having trouble sitting down earlier, get up was asked to be the greatest physical and mental pain. I breathed hard and then took the first step to fall to the ground face down.

"Ugh ..." I sighed, closing her eyes. "Why am I so weak ...?" I asked, opening his eyes to see the door open half-way with mother who was waiting patiently.

I tried to rise, but failed. At the second attempt, my mother stopped me with only showing her hand. I stopped breathing and did not dare move for not inherit advantage anger. Mother approached me quietly, extending the silence. She knelt before me and put her penetrating gaze into my eyes.

"You know, Fate, you've got what you deserved." She blew out between her teeth. "You should be more grateful to me rather than disobeying me like that. You really do not know how much you can be lucky to be just alive. If it had been up to me, I would have killed you since the beginning." She said the more coldly possibly-like. "Listen to me carefully, if you ever disobey me again another time, you will never see outside of this house ever again, Fate." On her last words, she left and closed the door softly behind her, leaving me alone with nothing else in my heart then emptiness.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N

And here I post another chapter, _very_ _VERY_ late, again... sorry readers! In this one, many sad memories for Fate-chan ^_^ I'm mean with her, don't you think? Anyhow, here's the next one you've waited so long for ^_^ (And successfully posted it before the end of the month! Just like I have promised!)

OH! I really thank you all for all the reviews! I may not answer them, but I read all of them with tears ' it moves me very much! Thanks fellas!

Well… I guess this one was longer than the one before… And I guess that I'll make others longer too… Well! I hope you'll like this!

Disclaimer: We're on a fan fiction website... Did you really think I own it? ... No I don't... Sorry...

Please be tolerant with my English

Thanks in advance for reading.

And it continues...

A/N

"What is a memory?"

_Nanoha Takamachi_

"It's something you have that keeps everything you've earned..."

_Fate Testarossa_

Episode 7: Excuses

_November 1__st_

**-Flashback – Fate's POV, home, 11 years ago...- **

"_Happy 4__th__ birthday Alicia, Fate!" A man wished to me and to my sister; his face was dark due to the absence of lights in the room._

_We were all sitting around a table with a cake on it. It had four candles for Alicia and me that our mother was setting up. I saw my sister smiled widely and I did the same. At this early age, we were one and the same. Thinking to eating to breathing... Everything we did was always the same. We blew the fire away together and the adults clapped their hands and whistled at us._

"_You've made your wish already?" Our mother smiled at us and we nodded at the same time._

"_What did you wish for my princesses?" The man asked and got a clap behind his head. "What was that for?" He turned to our mother as we all laughed._

"_You don't ask what their wishes are, otherwise it won't come true." She slightly punished him._

_As they cut the cake, I turned to my sister that had a huge grin on her face._

"_Fate! What did you wish for?" She beamed at me._

"_But onee-chan... We can't tell wishes..." I tried to explain her but was cut in the middle._

"_It will be our secret! We're twins! It's normal to share things like this!" She smiled even more as she approached my ear. "I wished to have a dog!"_

"_Onee-chan! It's not cheap!" I feared for mother's reaction to it._

"_Shush! Don't tell them!" She shushed at me. "What's yours?"_

_I slightly looked down for a moment before whispering to her: "To always be a happy family." _

_She looked at me without saying anything for a time before smiling brightly. "That's so cute! You sure make the more cute wishes in all worlds!"_

_I blushed as I received my piece of cake. "Thank you onee-chan..." She grinned at me._

"_No problem Fate! You know I'll always be there for you!"_

**-Flashback – Fate's POV, home, 10 years ago...- **

"_Why are you going?!" My mother cried at the man at the front door. "Why are you leaving us?!"_

_I was at the end of the hallway with my sister that hugged me. _Don't cry Fate... Don't cry!_ I tighter the embrace as we heard our mother cried louder._

_My mother punched the man on his torso as he didn't say anything. "Why are you going?! Why aren't you staying! They don't need you! We need you!" She cried and cried as she punched him._

_He stayed silent until our mother stopped sobbing. "They need me on the front field... You knew it Precia... We already talked about it. Why are you making a scene now..."_

"_Tresio! If it was only for me, I wouldn't beg you to stay! But our daughters! Do it for your daughters!" She yelled at him. "They need you more than the military!"_

_He didn't answer and walk to the door, never looking back._

"_TRESIO!" Our mother fall on her knees. "NOOO!"_

_**BZZZZZ-**_

**-Fate's POV – Fate's house, 0430 hours…-**

I yelled as I woke up in sweat. _What the hell was that!?_ My body was so hot and all my covers were on the floor. _That dream..._ My eyes flew over my bedroom to fall on my clock that was buzzing. I sighed and closed my eyes. _Why did I dream of him? Why remind me now of them...? Of all time..._

**BZZZZZ-**

I remembered then mother and Friday's long night. _Why… Nanoha… She didn't like my drunk self that much uh? Would guess so… Stupide Hayate…_ My back ached._ Mother…_

"_You__ know, Fate, you've got what you deserved."_

_Her voice… Hate. She hates me. Uh… life is cruel… Why isn't Alicia-onee-chan here? At my place… No… Not our precious Alicia… Father… Nothing would have happened if…_ I shook my head.

I flinched when I felt more pain from then. _It hurts… _A shiver ran through my skin when a sound was heard from the kitchen. _Mother is up, I should too…_

**BZZZZZ-**

I stopped the buzz as I stood. _Well... _I stretched my arms in the air. _Another day to affront... _I realized then something. _I haven't seen them since the party... _A long shiver passed through my back again. _Nanoha is so going to kill me today..._

**-Later – Fate's POV, school entrance…-**

I was walking to school as I sighed. _Why those dreams fill my nights and sometime days? Coming back all of the sudden… _I sighed again: I was in front of my shoe locker. _Mother ignored me since that morning…_ Another sigh. I looked at the clock. _Since Nanoha wanted me on time at school, it's more difficult for me to focus-_

**THUD!**

I felt a punch- or more like a kick, on my back, and I flew a few meters away. In mid-air, I somehow realized a spin and fell on my right knee and my left hand. It earned much applause from the other students. _What the hell?_ I turned to see a crying – or angry, or the two – Hayate running for my skin. _It's supposed to be Nanoha that wants me dead! Not Hayate!_ I swallowed a curse and run for my life in the hallway. When I was about to let myself get catch, I heard a loud noise behind me.

I turned to see a Hayate flat on the floor, still crying, not that angry anymore. "Fate…" It whispered. "Why did it happen…? How could it happen…? Why me…?" It wasn't saying anything that I could understand or could try to.

I knelled in front of Hayate when I was sure she wouldn't attack me anymore. "Hayate? What's the matter?" I calmly asked.

The brown hair girl frowned. "What's the matter?" She murmured as she sat. "You left us at the party Friday night! Where did you go? You didn't bear Nanoha's dark presence all week-end! And my camera-"

She was cut by Nanoha turning me to face her – getting me up in the process – her fingers penetrating my shoulders, preventing me from escape. If Hayate was scary before, then Nanoha was the devil itself.

"FATE! Where were you? What happen? Were you alright? You just disappeared then! Where were you again? AND you didn't explain a thing to me last time! I want answers! Now!" Nanoha didn't slow down and was really angry- no, really _furious_, I could sense it all through my skin, mostly around my shoulders.

_I don't want to lie to them… I don't remember __**everything**__ but enough to judge that they don't, but really don't want explanations. What should I do…?_ I sighed as I took Nanoha's hands in mine. Blue met burgundy. Anger met nervousness.

"I think I have returned home and that I was fine because I woke up Saturday morning without any clues of what really happen the night before. And I don't know what you want me to explain Nanoha…" I trailed off without problem, just like a pro would even if inside I was shaking badly.

Nanoha seemed to take it along, but not Hayate that was still frowning. _I hope she won't ask any further…_ I sighed and Nanoha's eyes got brighter as if she just got an idea.

"That's right! Hayate-chan, you have filmed the whole night, right? You could show it to Fate-chan." Nanoha found a solution, to my bad.

_Great. Just what I needed. Didn't think of that, crap…_ I swallowed hard; my worries were still unnoticed by the two others.

"Well, Nanoha-chan, I don't know if you'll believe me but my camera broke before I could take the film out of it…" Hayate was about to cry and Nanoha soon cheered her up while my shoulders relaxed.

_Oh gosh, I don't want to think about what would happen if she… I'm lucky for that… _I sighed again and Nanoha turned to look at me with a confuse expression on her face. _So cute. _I blinked three times. _C-cute? Ok, stop right there Fate. Better stop now before it's too late._ I turned around and started walking to my class. I could feel the intense gaze of Nanoha on my back, but I didn't care. _Just walk normally and don't turn back. It was enough weird for you to double it, Fate. _

Soon, Nanoha was walking next to me. We looked ahead, never glanced at the other and none talk. _I don't know why it hurts… but it's better that way... I think..._

**-Later – Fate's POV, in class…-**

The class went on but I was still lost in thoughts. _Nanoha is… really kind- no, there is no word for. She always there for me… Though always seemed worried of something._ I smiled inwardly. _She's always sweet to me._ I frowned at the thought. _She reminded me of onee-chan... _I closed my eyes. _No... it's not that... Then what is this...?_

**-Flashback – Fate's POV, home, 9 years ago...- **

_Mother was silent in the kitchen. She just received a letter from a military that had come earlier. She hadn't opened it yet and Alicia-onee-chan and I were patiently waiting for this._

"_Mother-" Onee-chan was cut by the sudden move of our mother. _

_She cut the paper and started to read aloud. _

"Dear Precia Testarossa,

I am terribly afraid to announce to you and to your children that your husband, Tresio Testarossa, had gone missing over the mission for the past few months.

I had sent many researchers and many soldiers to find him, unsuccessfully, by the time from then to now. None came to bring good news.

It is useless for me to tell you that we had won the battle but I thank you to have sent him for this year, he was of great help.

Somebody of the military will bring in the few days after you got the letter Tresio's personnal objects.

I humbly wish you a good life and I am highly sorry about the loss, just as you.

Sincerely,

Colonel Ogami."

_I didn't understand then the meaning of this. I looked at my sister for help and saw that she was crying. I took her by her sweater kindly to take her attention._

"_Why are you so sad? When is dad coming home?" I didn't know what was happening and her yes._

_She cried more and took me in a bear hug. I didn't get what happened but I started to cry with her. She clung to me as I clung to her. Everything was dizzy and fuzzy to my eyes, to my ears. Mother was crying too, but still not making a noise. _

_It was by then that I knew that never could I see dad again and that mother would change forever…_

"**-kun… rossa-kun… Testarossa-kun!" **

**-Fate's POV, in the middle of classroom…- **

I opened an eye and saw a strangely familiar furious man glaring at me. As I regained consciences, I stood promptly. That caused me to nearly fall as I recognized him as my chemistry teacher. I glanced around to see every other classmate laughing at… Probably me… I looked over my shoulder to see Hayate's worried face and I growled inwardly.

"Testarossa-kun!" The angry teacher yelled at me as my attention got right back to him. "You seemed to sleep well in my classes hum?"

I gulped soundlessly.

"Detention. After class." He spun on his feet and went back to the board.

I sighed as I sat down. _Waking up with him as first sight is somewhat… disturbing…_ I took my head in my left hand, sensing a coming headache. I also sensed a constant gaze on my back. _Hayate… You're worrying for nothing you should be… _I frowned at myself. _That letter… If it had never come… I… I…_

The bell rang and stopped me to finish my thought. The teacher said some unimportant things from the background as I let my head fall slowly on my arm already resting on the desk. _A break well deserved was all I need to stop thinking…_

However, my wishes were as quick fulfill as destroyed by a massive attack from the otaku that was my not-so-new-but-still-not-so-completely friend.

"Fate-chan! Fate-chan!" She jumped beside my desk as I put on another unreadable expression. "Whoa! What a head!" She laughed at me, or so I presumed she was. "Sleeping through his class is some extreme sport! And only getting off with a detention… You're really something Fate-chan!" She smiled brightly to me, showing me her canines, as if she was a sun herself and it bugged me a little – a lot.

"Detention…?" We heard a voice we all knew so well from behind the overexcited Hayate. "Fate-chan got… detention again…?"

A sudden worried Nanoha appeared and she was quiet and seemed somewhat sad… _Nanoha! Why do you have the most unlucky timing?_ My mind was on alert and my body refused to say anything or to move at all.

And I think Hayate was having the same trouble as I saw a sweat drop formed on her forehead.

_You just made her sadder Fate! Are you proud now?_ My little conscience told me inside. _It's not her fault! Those dreams just keep reappearing all the time!_ My reason tried to explain. _It is! She shouldn't sleep in class! And thus, no detention would be! _I frowned._ I agree… but Fate isn't responsible for that stupid teacher! _I groaned and stood, stopping them to continue.

With that, I got a worried look from Nanoha and a surprised one from Hayate. _Ugh… Why me…?_

**-Nanoha's POV, same place, same time…- **

_Why is Fate-chan angry…? Or annoyed from what it seems…?_ I didn't have time to question myself further. I needed answers from her, now.

"Why detention, Fate-chan…? You have promised me that…" I stopped in mid-sentence and bit my upper lip. "Explain this to me Fate-chan." I looked at her – her beautiful eyes that seemed full of sorrows. _Sorrows…? Fate-chan… If only you would open up to me…_

I noticed that she flinched. "I got asleep in class. I'm terribly sorry about this Nanoha." She faked a smile and my wish – no, my needs to push or punch her grew unsteady. "I'll try not to make the same mistake again." She walked over me and her smile slowly broke. "Otherwise, why did you come here for? Is something the matter?"

I blushed and played with my hair a little. _How could I possibly tell her? _"I… I…" _This morning and now…_ "Fate-chan… I…"_ She only talks, feels, walks of past experiences that seem to bother her and to follow her…_ I frowned slightly as I lower my head. _I'm so pathetic. I can't even form words for this…_

When I heard Fate sighed, I raised up my head. "Fate-" I couldn't say anything else as I felt Fate's arms around me. _Fate-chan's arms around me… Around me… Around me… Around- Fate-chan?!_ My head felt a little dizzy and my cheeks were burning. I swore I could hear my heart beating like a drum. And if I did, she did too.

**-Hayate's POV, same place, same time…- **

What a view I was seeing. Two handkerchiefs weren't enough to stop blood running from my nose. _What a scene! It could so go wrong! _I smiled and frowned. The camera on my phone wasn't enough to take pictures. _If only my camera wasn't broke!_

"My…" I heard Suzuka's voice from behind. "If it isn't cute." She smiled softly as I gave her a thump up.

Alisa appeared too and looked slightly disturbed by the scene, if not angry by it. However, I didn't have time for them, Nanoha and Fate took priority by all mean!

I then looked around to see all the classmates watching. They seemed to agree with me as everyone looked at the scene before our very eyes. Some were envying them, others had no position and just looked and the rest were disgusted by it but never went away. Anyways, I got the best surrounds and the best couple! It was heaven on earth!

I smiled evilly as a soft and creepy laugh got out of me earning many fear gazes on me.

**-Nanoha's POV, same place, same time…- **

Fate was still hugging me tightly. _W-w-w-w-what is h-h-happening?_ I couldn't help but wondered. _She-she-she-she's h-h-h-hugging me!_ My mind was everything but calm.

And what looked as eternity was only mere seconds.

Fate finally pushed me but we were still in a half-hug as her burgundy eyes sought my entire soul, seeking I-didn't-know-what. "I am no good when others don't feel good. I am no good when friends are feeling down. I do not know what to do in those situations. I do not know why you are sad and still are unable to talk about it. But I know one thing."

Fate gazed even deeper within me as a not-so-bad shiver past through me.

"I do not like to see you like this." Fate said softly as I was about to faint again.

I fought eagerly a deeper blush as some tears fell down. I wanted to say everything and nothing came out but tears. Fate then frowned, not understanding my sudden state.

"Why are you crying? Is something the matter? Are you all right? Is something wrong? Have I said anything bad?" She quickly assaulted me with questions.

I tried to laugh it out but my voice broke before I could. "Fate-chan…" I sighed and looked down, smiling. "You idiot." Fate shifted unconsciously and I looked right into her beautiful sorrowful burgundy eyes. "You're really an idiot…" I whispered the last part.

_So close, yet so far away… _I saddened by the thought. _I can touch you now, but you're nowhere near… Why can't I reach you?_ I sought answers but got nothing._ Why the long face that tells and won't tell anything?_ I shook my head and smiled at her. _At least, she worries about me. I'm somewhat really happy._ I giggled.

"You don't understand Fate-chan. It's not you that should be worrying." I smiled sweetly to her. "It's me that is deadly worried about you." I searched for an emotion or anything else then sadness within her. "You seem always saddened by something; bothered by memories; lock and lost inside your mind, your heart…" My smile turned to a thin line and no expression was visible on her pretty face. "You never talk too… I know it well that you're not used and all… But… It can't help me to worry and I'm afraid that something might happen and… And that I- we have no clue about it…" I tightened the grip on her shirt while I lowered my head. "I don't want you to compress everything inside and all… I don't like this. I want to help you. And to support-"

"Nanoha." Fate interrupted me and I looked up to her to see her smiled warmly to me. "Thank you and I am sorry." I smiled and frowned at that.

"Why are you sorry?" I couldn't look away; I was hypnotized by her enchanted eyes.

"I made you worry over me and for that I am sorry." She simply told me.

"You don't need-"

**THUD!**

The noise made me jumped out of the magical trance and I turned around in Fate's arms to see Hayate kneeled on the floor with Alisa and Suzuka in the background. _Since when…_ Alisa cut my thoughts when she came in front of me. I back stepped a little as she approached me with a stern expression. _What on Earth is she thinking? _

Hayate then started to cry aloud. "My… My… My…" She sniffed louder. "My batteries are dead!" I sweat dropped. "It's the end of the world!"

Alisa sighed. "Your world maybe. Nanoha, Fate. Don't mind her. She's still a little kid inside and…" She looked over our otaku friend. "Even on the outside" She grinned.

"Hey! I heard that!" Hayate got priestly on her feet glaring Alisa.

Our short blond hair friend shook her head in dismiss and return to Fate and me; looking at each of us for a time until: "Why are you two still hugging!?" She practically yelled and she massed her temples. "Stupid couple!"

I looked at Fate and she did the same. After we understood our friend, she pushed me away gently. I blushed madly and felt nervous._ It's kind of colder… Ugh…Why is this happening to me? I never asked for anything like this…!_

"W-we're not a c-couple!" I tried vainly to object. "W-what are you t-talking about?" _I'm so dead…_ I glanced at Fate to see her transparent expression like if she was still lost in thoughts.

Hayate regained her smile and walked over. "Arara… Alisa-chan, why pull them away? They look _soooooo_ good together!" She grinned at me and I wanted to hide under a rock- no, I wanted to bury myself.

Suzuka then decided to interfere when she put her hand on Hayate's shoulder. "Hayate-chan, please, don't embarrass them any further."

At that, Fate raised an eyebrow while I found the floor very intriguing. "I am not embarrassed… Why should I?" Something inside me clenched. "I don't understand." It tightened even more and almost a tear got out, not that I would have known the reason anyhow.

"Don't worry about it Fate-chan." Our mother-kind Suzuka said to avoid more questions. "The second hour will start soon. Moreover, we have music class next Fate-chan, Alisa-chan. I suggest we go right away."

Fate nodded, took her books, smiled simply at me and followed them. I followed for my part Hayate to our next class: arithmetic. I only walked in silence for a time, with Hayate beside me. _Hum... my mind is at peace... but why is there this ache in my heart?_

"You really like Fate-chan, right?" Hayate grinned at me and I blinked.

_What is she thinking this time...? _"Of course I like her. She's my friend, just like you." I answered, slightly confused.

Hayate stopped and giggled softly. "My... If you propose to me like this, right now, right here, I don't know how to answer..." Hayate acted the shy girl. "But then you are only to Fate-chan, I shouldn't take you away from her..." She faked a tear and faked to wipe it.

And I just completely became paranoid. "W-w-what?! W-what are you t-talking about?! I-I didn't p-p-p... It's not true!" I blushed madly when I couldn't even pronounce the word. _Why Nanoha are you always stuttering?_

Hayate laughed and laughed at me and only stopped when we arrived to class.

The class started while I shut myself in my mind. Many things passed through it and mostly were about Fate. _Why was she sad today?_ I remembered the scene of this morning._ She said she didn't remember the party... We could explain it to her, but I don't want her to know if she doesn't want. I want her to be happy..._ I blushed. _That reminds me of her hug... She felt so nice..._ I slapped my face. _Nanoha! What the hell are you thinking about?! She's your friend!_

I sighed.

"I want another one..." I spoke out loud again and all the classmates turned to face me._ Oh crap... Not again?!_

"Well Takamachi-san, if you really love homework, I have no problem to give you more. 91 to 93 and all numbers of those 3 pages. To all the class." The math teacher glared at us- mostly at me.

And everyone in class but Hayate too. _Why is my mind so stupid?!_ I grumbled and felt ashamed. _This is hell..._

"Stupid mind..." I murmured at myself and the teacher appeared to have great ears as he turned abruptly to me and throw the chalk right on my forehead.

"'Stupid math' you said?!" He growled at me.

"No! I said 'stupid mind' not 'stupid math'!" I explained while massing my hurt skin.

"Stop it! Outside now! We will talk later, Takamachi-san!" He turned back to the board.

I suppressed a growl as Hayate looked worried as she saw me passed through the door, almost slamming it.

_Ugh! Why god why! _I wanted to punch my head in the wall. But I stopped myself before and sighed, defeated. _It's just not my day... _I frowned. _Fate-chan..._

**-Fate's POV – in the school's grand hall, after school…-**

I walked to the grand hall in silence- my mind in silence.

There weren't many students left but the ones that got detention. _Like me._ The grand hall that to be always over flood by people was then almost empty and quiet for a change. A couple was making out in a corner; a student was being bullied in another; a group of nerds were walking out, talking about some nerd stuff... And there was me, standing there for no particular reasons, just watching- just lost in thoughts of nothing in specific or that I could remember.

Until I felt a hand on my arm.

I turned around to see Suzuka and Alisa. "Can I do anything for you?" I asked politely to them, bowing slightly to greet them.

They looked at each other's and sighed before looking back at me.

"We're not customers Fate. You should say 'hey what's up' or something like that." Alisa grinned at me.

Suzuka smiled sweetly. "We're friends and thus we don't use or need formalities between us.

I stared blankly at them, considering their demand. "Alright. Then, what is up?"

Alisa laughed it out. "Are you going home right now?"

"No I have detention and I work after it." _Why do they always want to walk home together? Is this suppose to have a certain meaning or be a necessarily? Or maybe it is a custom of some sort?_

"That's too bad." Suzuka spoke slowly, almost as she wanted to make me feel sorrows or something. _Not Suzuka. She's too kind for that._

"Fate-chan works tonight?" Nanoha's voice came from afar and I automatically turned my head over her.

"No fun Fate-chan, you're making Nanoha-chan sad." Hayate's tease made Nanoha reddened for I-didn't-know-what reason, yet my mind didn't put much attention to it.

"Yes I work, and it does nothing to do with fun. It is necessary." I spoke before thinking over it and cursed myself when Hayate's and the other had lost their smile.

"Why would it be a necessary? You're still a student and all!" Hayate's burst made me uneasy.

_I talked too much..._I gulped out loud, but regained my posture as fast as when I answered before. "We are never sure of whatever the future reserves to us. That is all."

The quick thought explanation was mostly accepted by the girls, but Nanoha seemed to not trust my words. I tried to smile at her and succeed. She became red all of the sudden. _Why does she always turn bright red? Is she sick? I hope not…_

"Well, I will be going now." I started to make my exit to only be stopped by Hayate.

"We can wait for you, you know? Then go home all together."

The over exited friend of mine grabbed my arm and tried to make me cheer with her – or so I thought – in vain. I didn't move at all, just watching her with my sharp – and somewhat hard expression.

"Fate-chan...? Is something the matter…?" Nanoha asked me, her voice full of worries.

"Well, I am not going home after the detention, and so I can't walk with you." I spoke softly. _I can't let them know… Can't let them wait for someone like me…_

"You're not going home? Then where are you going?" Suzuka took the lead before the others, never raising or showing any emotion but kindness and compassion. _Can she read minds? Of course not… What the hell was that Fate?_

"I am going to work of course. I start right after. And I should be going in all truth. If you will excuse me." I bowed slightly to them and promptly walked away.

They didn't say anything and it was better that way. _Being distant is the only option Fate… The only one…_ I sighed and looked up ahead of me with a determinate expression even if it hurt inside.

**-Nanoha's POV – same place, same time…-**

As I watched my walked away from us, a certain feeling in me hurt more than anything. My heart clenched and breathing became difficult. _What is this…? It hurts…_ I was in pain and didn't understand at all.

"I don't get her." Alisa snorted loudly to catch everyone's attention

"She's shy; don't look down on her please." Her girlfriend tried to ease her, unsuccessfully.

"She's not shy! She's clearly avoiding us!"

I always been used to our friend's bluntness and all, but this accusation made me felt sick inside. _Why…? Fate-chan…_

"Maybe." Hayate's serious tone drew our gaze on her. "Well, she might be shy, or avoiding us, or even not thinking of us as friends at all." That hurt me hard. "I'm sorry Nanoha-chan, but it seems so by times." I shook my head and smiled lightly at her. "But there's something that we can do and only us can."

It caught my attention and as well for Suzuka and even Alisa, but she would never admit it.

"I had observed her ever since she had captured our little precious Nanoha-chan in her paws of beauty."

She smirked at me and I blushed hard. _Why is she making things harder than they really are?_

"Well, I came to a conclusion after many observations on her attitude with everyone she encounters. It's not that she has difficulties making friends, because she has no difficulty to talk to other for business. Also she's way too admired to make enemies. In short, it's not that. No. It's because she doesn't want to have some."

My eyes widened and I was about to cry. Alisa only growled, tapping her foot constantly on the floor. And Suzuka stayed quiet, contemplating something in her mind.

"But! This is where we can do something!" Hayate's serious voice intrigued us as we all approached her for a better listening. "But I don't know what is that _something_." She admitted, scratching a little her head with an apology smile.

We were dazed. _She doesn't know? Why then make my hopes up…?_ I wanted badly to strangle my friend just now.

"You… don't know?! The hell did you say all that?!" Alisa let her anger out on Hayate.

She frowned. "I might not know right now. But I know what it will result!" She proudly said; her chin up.

"And?" I pressed her.

"If we do that something, she will be more willing to have friends; accept us more and even become a real friend if I can say it like that."

And before I could comprehend the information, I started to dance of joy with Suzuka. _I'm so happy! It could work! No… _ I grinned. _We will get to Fate-chan! It will work out for sure! _

**-Hayate's POV – same place, same time…-**

I watched Nanoha danced and kicked myself in my mind. _Why did I say all that…? I hope…_

Alisa interrupted my thoughts. "Are you sure about that Hayate?"

I stayed quiet for a moment, gathering my thoughts in order. _If I'm sure about this? Well, Alisa-chan, you should already know the answer._ "No."

"Why the-" Alisa turned to me and started to yell, but shut herself when I glared at her.

"I didn't do it only to annoy you Alisa-chan." I calmly stated while looking over Nanoha. "I did it for her; to cheer her up. That's what friends do when they feel down right?"

Alisa frowned. "True… but if it doesn't work?"

"Then it will be that." Alisa glared at me. "At least we would have done something, have tried and eventually, we will gain something– anything from it." _I guess it won't be easy; it's about Fate-chan after all._ "On the other side, if it works, then Nanoha and all of us will be happy."

Alisa calmed. "I guess you're right…" She grinned at me. "For once."

I pouted. "I'm always right! Stop talking nonsense Alisa-chan." I shouted enough loud to catch our other friends' attention.

Alisa playfully shoved me. "Tsk, you're the one talking nonsense!"

I snorted, faking a snob. _This is getting fun._ "Tsk, tsk, tsk… You don't get it…" I turned on my feet, kneeling and looking up with my arms pleading something. "I am God!" I got up and sighed. "Of course I'm always right!" I heard Nanoha's laugh and felt proud.

The blond that was my friend growled and then smiled. "You're truly manly for a girl- oh I'm sorry, for a god Hayate!"

I lost my smiled and was beginning to be annoyed until something great hit me. _You're going down Alisa-chan! _"Talk about yourself. You're supposed to be the man in your relationship, yet Suzuka-chan had shown more manhood then you ever did!" I smirked, the devil on my shoulder.

Alisa was shocked, angry, hurt, saddened- but mostly, she wanted to kill me right then, right there. Nanoha in the back looked embarrassed. _My? It's NOT even your turn my sweet little Nanoha-chan._ I grinned. Suzuka was a mystery herself; she blushed lightly and gave me a stern and dark look.

And Alisa's anger erupted on me. "Hayate! You… you… you stupid IDIOT! You-! You-!"

She turned around abruptly and walked away with Suzuka on her heels, trying to sooth her.

"Hayate-chan… Don't you think you went too far…?" A worried Nanoha quietly asked.

"Well… No, sorry. It's for their own good." Nanoha looked at me as if I was an alien. "You're too young to understand little girl." I petted her head and received a pout.

_They need to talk about themselves and figures things out. They never talked because Alisa-chan's too stubborn anyway._ I laughed at Nanoha.

"You… You're still… here?" Fate's voice came from behind us.

**-Fate's POV – same place, same time…-**

I saw Nanoha smiled brightly at me. "Fate-chan!"

"Nanoha… Hayate…" A sigh came out. "Why are you two still here?" I saw Nanoha shivered._ I hope it is not a cold… _

"Isn't it obvious?" Hayate caught my attention back on her. "We were waiting for you!"

I stayed quiet. They were smiling and I was lost. _Why don't they understand that I do not want them to be hurt by me…? If they stay, or if I stay, it will only bring troubles… I am cursed…_ I sighed. Hayate looked persistent and wouldn't give up anytime soon. Nanoha begun to have tears… _Tears?! What! Is she alright?! I made her sad again! I knew I was being…_ I shook my head to them.

"I am sorry Nanoha…. Please do not cry…" I sighed in defeat. "Alright, I will walk with you… but only to the bus stop."

Nanoha beamed of over joy as Hayate took one of Nanoha's arm and mine to playfully walk with giant steps. I looked at them with amaze. _They really…_ I couldn't hold a giggle and even let myself laughed louder than normal.

"Why's the laugh?" Nanoha asked with a glint of happiness in her eyes.

"Well… I have two friends that are really strange, crazy, but nevertheless amazing."

Nanoha reddened more and murmured thanks. Hayate smirked.

"If you're willing to stay with us more often, then you'll become just like us! Right Nanoha-chan?"

I stayed silent and didn't answer. What could I answer anyway…? _I am really not sure about that Hayate…_ Nanoha looked worried when I wasn't saying anything. _I am really a bad friend…_

"I… I guess…" There was nothing else I could say.

But the harm was done. An awkward silence begun and it stayed until we reached destination; the bus stop. We walked to the bench and sat on it. The heavy air around us was unbearable, but I snuggled myself to it, as if it was making me feel better.

"Do you live near?" Hayate then cut the fog. "We live on this street..."

I took my time to answer, like if they would stop talking to me by this doing.

"I guess I live near." I finally said when I saw the bus arrived.

Nanoha smiled. "Then, where do-"

I stood. "I am sorry but I will be late for work." I walked to the opened door of the bus.

"We understand." Hayate cut Nanoha that was about to talk back. "Have a nice evening Fate-chan. We will see you tomorrow."

I nodded and as the door closed behind me, the door of my heart was shut down again, and only a single tear followed suit.


End file.
